The Nightmare Before Christmas confused many parents in 1993 when kids who had seen promotional material for the film excitedly proposed a family trip to the movies, receiving concerned looks after announcing the title. For anyone who learned about the film via word of mouth, it immediately sounded like the next controversial assault on Christmas à la 1984’s Silent Night Deadly Night or 1980’s Christmas Evil. But The Nightmare Before Christmas was nothing of the sort.
It was a brilliant love letter to Halloween, Christmas, and a nostalgic aesthetic of stop-motion animation that happened to also celebrate the macabre. The film opened to mediocre box office numbers but, over time, snowballed into a huge cult classic. Anyone who watched The Holiday Movies That Made Us learned some juicy details about Tim Burton’s temper tantrums when it came to creative input from others. Kicking holes in walls and breaking equipment may not fare well for another collaboration involving Tim Burton, but if Disney decides to produce a sequel to the beloved film, audiences would likely turn out for it.
Some fans may be content with leaving it alone and have even proposed that The Nightmare Before Christmas is the third chapter in a Tim Burton trilogy about a man and his dog. The fan theory suggests Frankenweenie (2012) is the first chapter, Corpse Bride (2005) is part two, and The Nightmare Before Christmas is the third story, where Victor is now dead and becomes known as Jack Skellington in ghost form. While this may just be a fun play on Burton’s affinity for skinny male leads and Bull Terriers, it’s still fun to contemplate.
Should a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas be produced, it would continue to elevate Jack Skellington into Disney’s stable of iconic characters, many of which have had sequels produced. As the property has now gone on to receive massive merchandising, a full takeover of Disney’s Haunted Mansion for three months out of every year, and countless re-releases and live events, it’s a mystery why Disney hasn’t already produced a sequel or spinoff. Here is why a sequel could work, but is it even possible?
Update December 21, 2023: In honor of the holiday season, this article has been updated with additional information by Samuel Cormier on the possibility of a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, including recent comments by Tim Burton.
The Other Holiday Doors
When contemplating a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, fans inevitably suggest the possibilities represented by the five other holiday doors found in the Holiday Woods or Hinterlands. While this compelling world-building plot device is only seen briefly in the film, it also appears in the Oogie’s Revenge and Kingdom Hearts II video games, but it has never been fully explored. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving are all represented. Given a proper treatment, it’s certainly possible a new story could be woven that includes these unexplored realms and the characters who dwell within them.
Most interesting is Independence Day, which suggests the Hinterlands are the product of some kind of Americana mastermind, which begs the question: where are all the doorways to Holiday worlds that go unrepresented? Are Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras, Lunar New Year, and Hanukkah in some other forest? What is Martin Luther King Day world or the land of International Women’s Day? While the concept may have been kept brief to avoid this speculation into worlds of stereotypes and absurdity, it could also be used to draft a larger-scope plot device that could bring Jack Skellington into a more meta realm of possibilities.
The only way forward from an already absurd concept is to break new boundaries. Sequels such as Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey and Gremlins 2: The New Batch come to mind. Bill & Ted brought in Heaven and Hell, while The New Batch completely obliterated the fourth wall. Although, some fans may argue that this could break the poetry brought forth by Tim Burton and Henry Selick.
CG Stop Motion
It’s also possible Disney could play with alternative visual mediums for a sequel to the film. With the recent Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers film, Disney has clearly been dabbling with new styles. The Nightmare Before Christmas could easily be on target for a wild reimagining. As computer-generated imagery continues to make leaps and bounds in its ability to emulate stop-motion animation, it’s possible a proposed sequel to Nightmare could be accomplished with a completely new animation pipeline.
Alternate and new forms of animation technology were certainly employed with the rash of sequels Disney put out in the early 2000s with films like Little Mermaid 2 and 3, Lady and the Tramp 2, Cinderella 2, and countless others. Yet those sequels were seen as inferior and cheap cash grabs and something Disney has pivoted away from, so that would not be the comparison they would want to invite with The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Many people thought they were watching stop-motion animation with The Lego Movie that came out in 2014, but it was all in-fact computer generated. It’s possible the look of Nightmare could be fully accomplished with CGI, though purists may find such a notion offensive.
And Why Not a Prequel?
While the universe of The Nightmare Before Christmas has been around for so long now that its oddities have become a given, taking a step back quickly makes one realize how strange the very concept of the Hinterlands is. How has it come to be? Rather than a sequel, this could be treated as a prequel. There is also the possibility to explore the backstories of some characters, such as Oogie Boogie, Sally, Dr. Finkelstein, or the Pumpkin King himself, which director Henry Selick might already be toying with. For example, how did Oogie Boogie come to be, why is he filled with bugs, and what’s with his affinity for gambling?
Oogie Boogie’s assistants, Shock, Lock and Barrel, are also peculiar additions to the character list. Why are they so evil? Why don’t they live in Halloweentown? Why are they working in a less-than-children-friendly environment, Oogie Boogie’s casino? They might be characters that could be dug more. Of course, there is also always the counterpoint that explaining too much about the universe around the film could ruin its magic. It is a hard choice for fans (and, certainly, the creators) whether they are yearning for more content or are afraid that the original content might be betrayed.
Is a Sequel Even Possible?
Whether Disney decides to experiment tonally with the brand, create a series spin-off for Disney+, or make a direct sequel, there is surely a loyal fan base that will jump on it. However, they should not keep their hopes up too high because Tim Burton truly sees this project as a one-off. Burton has left Disney on bad terms, referring to them as a “big circus”. While it is unclear who exactly owns creative control over Jack Skellington and company, even if Disney moved forward on a sequel or continuation without backing from Tim Burton, it could turn fans off of it.
While the idea of making a long-awaited sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas sounds tempting, and Disney loves legacy sequels, as seen with Hocus Pocus 2, Disenchanted, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, avoiding one for this film in particular might be for the best. The Nightmare Before Christmas is perfect as it, and the simplicity is what makes it great. Adding on a sequel or prequel will only complicate the legacy more. Not everything needs to be a franchise; this is one case where Disney should leave well enough alone.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is currently streaming on Disney+.
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