(Welcome to Will There Be a Sequel?, a series where we examine what follows and provide an answer to that topic.)
Even though it was published in 1993, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has a devoted cult following even now, almost 30 years later. The sweetly creepy stop-motion holiday movie, which was produced and written by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick, was a critical triumph and eventually won over legions of admirers despite Disney’s initial unease with it. It successfully captures the spirit of both Halloween and Christmas. In fact, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, and since its debut, it has brought in $91.5 million globally.
Given this, it only makes sense to investigate the reasons why Disney might or might not bring back Jack Skellington and his pals in “The Nightmare Before Christmas 2.”
Tim Burton is Protective of His Work
Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was born out of a fever dream, and he’s not too keen to taint the purity of his work with pointless sequels. He claimed in 2006 that he was not particularly fond of Disney’s former practise of creating small screen and direct-to-video sequels to their classic movies, claiming that they “eat away at why people like [the film] to begin with.” He also claimed that he was “always very protective of [“Nightmare”], not to do sequels or things of that kind.”
Tim Burton was right to steer clear of Disney’s significantly lower-quality direct-to-video sequel era, but a lot has changed since then. There may still be hope for “The Nightmare Before Christmas 2” to be made in a way that respects the integrity and striking visual quality of the original movie since Disney has moved on to producing successful big-screen sequels like “Frozen 2” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” with production quality and storylines that rival those of their predecessors.
Disney Initially Wanted to Do a CGI Sequel
Disney was interested in making a sequel to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” but the media juggernaut wanted to use CGI instead of the stop-motion animation that gave the musical its famous, surrealistic charm. This was revealed by director Henry Selick in 2009.
“A few years back, Disney spoke to me and the sad thing was at the time, they said, ‘If we do a sequel, it will have to be CG.’ I was really disappointed. I asked why and they didn’t think stop-motion was a viable way to make movies. I don’t think they would say that now, and I don’t think Tim would allow a CG sequel. There’s been a few stories proposed and a few discussion but that’s really Tim [Burton]’s decision. John Lasseter, from Pixar, is heading up all Disney animation and he goes way back with Tim. He might possibly persuade Tim to do it. But I kind of think not.”
The fact that “The Nightmare Before Christmas 2” was never completed doesn’t rule out the prospect of a future instalment entirely.
Other Sequels and Spin-Offs Already Exist
It’s not surprising that “The Nightmare Before Christmas'” success has led to the creation of extra side stories and associated books, manga, and video games. The video game developer Capcom released “The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge” for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2005. With a nearly identical plot that sees Jack once more get dissatisfied with his life and Oogie Boogie wreaking havoc on the globe, the game takes place exactly one year after the movie.
Also in 2018, the Tim Burton-approved “Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero’s Journey” sequel was published by manga publisher Tokyopop.
There Is an Official Sequel in the Works … But It’s Not a Movie
The comic book series follows the exploits of Zero, Jack Skellington’s ghostly canine friend, as he embarks on an unforeseen journey through Christmas Town.
“After falling in love with Jack Skellington and marrying him atop Spiral Hill, Sally must grapple with her new title as the Pumpkin Queen of Halloween Town. When she happens upon a new doorway near the grove of holiday trees, she inadvertently sets loose a villain who could ruin Halloween Town forever. Now, Sally must venture to the other six holidays on a quest to save Jack and all of Halloween Town, a perilous journey that will lead her to unearth worlds she never imagined, learn the truth about her own past, and decide what this discovery means for her future.”
Although “The Nightmare Before Christmas” sequel ideas by Disney were ultimately shelved, there is technically a continuation in the form of a novel. In August 2022, the book “Long Live the Pumpkin Queen” was published. The novel, according to its author Shea Earnshaw, will be written from Sally’s point of view and recount her experiences after marrying Jack and rising to the position of Pumpkin Queen in Halloween Town.
