THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is Getting a Sequel Novel and It Focuses on Sally
The Nightmare Before Christmas is getting a sequel in the form of a YA novel that will be written by Shea Ernshaw (The Wicked Deep, Winterwood) for Disney Publishing. The novel is currently untitled, but it’s pretty cool that after all these years we are going to see what happens after Sally and Jack’s first kiss on Spiral Hill.
The story for the sequel will be 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.”
Ernshaw talked about the project in a Disney Q&A run by io9, saying:
"This new book, written from the point of view of Sally, takes place shortly after the movie ends. It's the yet-to-be-told love story of Sally and Jack. But it's also a coming-of-age story for Sally, as we see her navigate her new royal title as the Pumpkin Queen of Halloween Town. [It] will hopefully give fans a long-awaited second dose of Sally, Jack, and all the familiar residents of Halloween Town, while introducing a new cast of grim, strange characters, that I hope readers will love."
Ernshaw went on to discuss the opportunity to explore Sally’s identity, saying:
“One of the core themes in The Nightmare Before Christmas was Jack’s struggle to understand his identity. He had grown tired of being the Pumpkin King, and in his longing for something more, he plotted to take over Christmas. In this book, I really wanted to explore Sally’s identity, and better understand not only who she is now that she’s fallen in love with Jack and taken on the role of the Pumpkin Queen, but also understand how her past has affected her present desires, doubts, and dreams.
“What does a ragdoll truly want out of life? What is she afraid of? And how much is she willing to risk to save those she loves? As we will learn in the book, she’s willing to risk quite a lot. Sally is one of the most compelling, and also richly-layered characters I’ve ever written, and it’s an honor to get to tell her story.”
This sounds like it’ll make for a wonderful story and I’ll be looking forward to reading it. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see it get adapted into a film!
The Nightmare Before Christmas sequel novel will be released in July 2022.