THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Director Henry Selick Addresses Sequel and Shares Idea For Possible Prequel
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic film that fans have enjoyed watching during the holiday season for years. I’ve watched this movie every year during the holidays since it was released, and it’s a perfect standalone story, but that doesn’t mean the director of the film, Henry Selick, doesn’t have an idea to continue the story in a sequel, because he does.
The Tim Burton-produced movie follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who stumbles upon a portal to Christmas Town. Enchanted by the joy and magic of Christmas, Jack decides to take over the holiday and deliver his own twisted version of Christmas joy. However, his well-intentioned plans inadvertently create chaos, as his Halloween-themed take on Christmas is not well-received by the human world. With the help of Sally, a ragdoll who harbors feelings for him, Jack must correct his mistakes and restore the natural order of the holidays.
It’s been 30 years since The Nightmare Before Christmas was released and while there are no plans for a sequel, Selick addressed questions of a sequel, saying:
“I think Tim [Burton] in particular feels like, why mess with that? He certainly doesn’t need to make more money from a sequel. He has had so many other successes, and so far nobody’s come up with a great idea for a sequel. And I still think that Tim gets to decide. I don’t think there’s any idea that would convince him.”
The filmmaker then shared his idea for a prequel film, saying:
“There might be a more interesting story there about how Jack became the King of Halloween Town.”
Over the years Selick and Burton have turned down CG animated pitches for a sequel, as they should. Selick previously shared that a “sequel has come up several times,” but “initially, they always said, ‘But it will have to be CG.’ And that was a non-starter for me. It certainly was for Tim Burton.”
There actually is a sequel novel that was written that put a focus on the character Sally. That story is told from Sally’s point of view and it “sees a happily married Sally and Jack get their lives momentarily turned upside down when Sally accidentally lets loose a mysterious villain in Halloween Town. With Jack and the entire holiday world itself in peril, Sally goes on a quest to the other holiday worlds—including one previously unexplored—as the Pumpkin Queen, uncovering secrets about how to save the world and wrestle with new discoveries about her past life.”
The question is, does the franchise need a new movie? No, not really. But, if a sequel or prequel was made, you know everyone would flock to theaters to watch it.
Source: People