Henry Selick, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, settles the debate on the film's holiday genre.
Selick spoke to Comicbook.com to promote Wendell & Wild, his stop-motion collaboration with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The director also discussed whether he considers Nightmare a Christmas or Halloween film, a longstanding debate between the movie's cult following. "At the very beginning, when Tim Burton came up with this original idea in the '80s at Disney, when it was intended to be a half-hour TV special in stop-motion, at the very beginning, I saw it as a mashup, that it's both," Selick said.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is Perfect for Both Holidays
Previously, Selick considered Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie, not Christmas. However, he later called it "the perfect collision between those two holidays." "It is both, and it's its own thing. It's a great celebration of Halloween that can last all the way into Christmas," Selick said. The director later remarked that people keep returning to Nightmare no matter the holiday season.
Chris Sarandon, the voice behind Jack Skellington, also offered his opinion on the longstanding debate. "I know that there are a lot of fans who come up to me saying, 'We watch it every Halloween,' and I have fans that come up and say, 'We watch it every Christmas,' I have fans who come up and say, 'We watch it at both Christmas and Halloween," Sarandon said. He later highlighted that the fans are important, not what holiday category Nightmare falls under.
Released in 1993, The Nightmare Before Christmas follows a Pumpkin King named Jack Skellington, who stumbles across the door to Christmas Town. Thrilled by the unfamiliar sights, Jack attempts to convince the residents of Halloween Town to start celebrating the newfound holiday. However, Jack's excitement and assignment of jobs like singing carols and constructing a sleigh pulled by skeletal reindeer doesn't entirely put them in the Christmas spirit.
Since its release, Nightmare crew members have expressed differing opinions on whether a sequel is in the film's future. Danny Elfman, the singing voice for Jack, doesn't believe Burton would do a follow-up film. "I think Tim [Burton] has always felt that no, this is what it is," Elfman said. However, Selick pitched a series of shorts to serve as Nightmare's sequel. "It would have to be so refreshing...such a new take to justify making a sequel, but a short makes good sense," Selick said.
Wendell & Wild premieres on Netflix on Oct. 28, 2022. The Nightmare Before Christmas is available to stream on Disney+.
Source: Comicbook.com