This Is Everything, Including ‘Steamboat Willie’, Entering Public Domain In 2024
Image Source: IMDB
Every January 1st, we have thousands of works that become public domain, meaning that the copyright expired, and now people can do (mostly) whatever they like. One of the most infamous recent examples of this is Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, which is a slasher film based on everybody’s favorite honey-loving bear. A sequel is set to be released in February 2024, now featuring Tigger, now that the book that first featured him (House on Pooh Corner) has been added to the public domain.
While it is huge that people can now make whatever works they want featuring the A.A. Milne version of Tigger (try to make a slasher movie featuring the modern Disney iteration of Tigger and watch how fast Disney lawyers bury you alive), two of the most influential fictional characters have also found their way into the public domain: Peter Pan as portrayed in the original J.M. Barrie book (again, no Disney Peter Pan) and, most amazingly, Mickey Mouse. Or, at least, the Mickey Mouse as shown in Steamboat Willie. While the director of Blood and Honey has made it clear that he won’t make a slasher starring the most famous and influential cartoon character of all time, there’s technically nothing stopping anyone from making horror games and movies about him.
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Of course, it’s not just fictional characters who are in the public domain now. Written works from authors such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Agatha Christie, D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf and Robert Frost have been added to the list. There are also films such as Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus added on as well. Even music such as Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)” is open.
It’s going to be interesting to see what people do with all of this, now that it’s fair game. So far it’s not been that encouraging. Blood and Honey was panned by critics and audiences, and it’s not likely that the sequel will be any better. Peter Pan is getting the slasher treatment now that he’s fair game. Regardless, we have thousands of books, movies, characters and songs that are open for use.
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Source: The Hill
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