As the 1993 animated picture The Nightmare Before Christmas celebrates its 30th anniversary, director Henry Selick reflects on his idea for a potential prequel.
Henry Selick, who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas and has an idea for a prequel, is discussing it 30 years after the film’s initial release.
People magazine published an interview with the director on Friday; in it, he said that while the original film is “a perfect movie [that] came out of the perfect time, only to grow into something far bigger over the years,” he isn’t exactly ecstatic about the prospect of making a sequel.
Also, “I believe Tim [Burton] in especially feels like, why meddle with that?” he said. He doesn’t require further financial support from a sequel. Even though he’s had a lot of success elsewhere, no one has come up with a compelling notion for a follow-up. In my opinion, Tim should have the last say. There is no plan that I can think of that would win him over.
However, one possibility is still open. Selick hinted that a prequel could be more up his alley. The director of Coraline suggested that the story of how Jack became Halloween Town’s king should be more engaging.
Chris Sarandon, who voiced Jack Skellington in the first film, has claimed he would “definitely” return to the role if a sequel.
“To quote Henry, ‘Fuck yeah,'” he said to the media. “I would be there in a flash if there was a sequel.”
Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, accidentally finds himself in Christmas Town in Burton’s 1993 stop-motion animated film. His fascination with Christmas leads him to want to institute the holiday in his community in place of Halloween.
The Haunted Holiday is now available to stream on Disney+.