A Huntsville native has been solidifying his career path playing fan-favorite baddies like Art the Clown in the “Terrifier” series and a thinly-disguised version of a furry green villain in “The Mean One.” David Howard Thornton, 45, added another role to his portfolio this month with the release of “Screamboat,” a horror parody of the 1928 cartoon “Steamboat Willie.”

Thornton, 45, portrays an evil mouse in “Screamboat,” which debuted this month in theaters and is available for preorder on Fandango. As usual with his roles, Thornton is unrecognizable in his makeup and never speaks a line – and horror fans love him.

Watch the trailer below.

If you’re wondering how anyone could turn Disney’s famous family friendly Mickey Mouse into a horror film, here’s how – the copyright expired on the cartoon “Steamboat Willie,” created by Ub Iwerks and directed by Walt Disney, and it is now in the public domain, according to Temple University law professor Donald P. Harris. The 1928 version can be used in any way by anyone. The features of the current version of Mickey Mouse are copyrighted and trademarked.

The expiration of copyrights on iconic childhood characters has led to other parody films, including 2023’s “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey,” and the recently released “Popeye the Slayer Man.”

The synopsis of “Screamboat” on IMDb says: “On the last ferry of the night in New York, passengers and crew are hunted by a merciless rat and what should have been a peaceful crossing turns into a bloody massacre.”

Add another villain

Thornton will add another villain to his roster with the release of the indie horror film “The Dead Place.”

Although no release date has been set, the trailer for the film dropped in January. Watch it below.

An article by Horror Society said Thornton’s role as “The New Kid” in “Dead Place” will mark a departure from his previous roles. “It’s worth noting that David Howard Thornton will speak and show more of his acting chops in this one. A fact that is sure to whet the appetite of genre fans who are used to seeing him as the mute clown from the Terrifier films,” Horror Society wrote.

In the film, Thornton portrays a “demonic and sarcastic dark soul” who collaborates with another baddie, The Entity (portrayed by Bill Oberst Jr.).

The synopsis of the film on IMDb says: “Troubled High School Senior Isaac suffers from visions of malevolent spirits whose hauntings intensify amidst an onslaught of bullying and familial tragedy, pushing him to discover a capacity for violence he never knew he possessed.”