Nicolas Cage's new creature feature horror movie is actually inspired by one of Disney's most innocent characters

The director of Nicolas Cage’s new survival horror movie Arcadian has shockingly revealed that the movie’s distinctive monster is actually inspired by a very well-known and beloved animated character… Disney’s Goofy. 

"From the beginning, I had this idea of big nocturnal eyes, and massive spaced-out teeth, teeth way too big for the creature’s mouth. Goofy, the Disney character, was a big inspiration," said director Ben Brewer in an interview with IGN, before explaining that the incentive particularly came from a childhood fear of his – the scene in A Goofy Movie where Goofy’s son Max has a nightmare about turning into his father. 

"That's where the Goofy thing comes in because in that film, that dream sequence... it's terrifying," said the director, adding, "It's too much personality. We gave our creatures too much personality because it would be freaky for people."

Arcadian follows a man named Paul (Cage) and his two sons, living in a near dystopian future where violent monsters come out at night and cause havoc, I Am Legend style. But when one son doesn't return home before sundown one day, Paul must leave the safety of his fortified farm and battle killer creatures to save his family. Alongside Cage, Arcadian stars IT’s Jaeden Martell, Reacher’s Maxwell Jenkins, and Saltburn’s Sadie Soverall.

Brewer, who worked on the visual effects for the Oscar-winning movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, also shared initial sketches with IGN of the otherworldly creatures, which we have to admit, do share a likeness with the Disney dog. But Goofy isn't the first animated character to get the horror treatment, as recently we have seen Winnie the Pooh turn into a serial killer in Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, and Mickey Mouse in the trailer for The Return of Steamboat Willie. Whoever will be next?

Arcadian is out in US theatres now. Its UK release date is yet to be announced. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, or keep up to date with upcoming horror