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Since its release, The Nightmare Before Christmas has been the subject of speculation and debate concerning the possibility of a follow-up. Recently, legendary composer Danny Elfman touched on the subject of a sequel, expressing his doubt that writer and producer Tim Burton would ever make one.
When asked by ComicBook.com about a sequel, Elfman said, "I think Tim [Burton] has always felt that no, this is what it is." The composer himself, however, was open to the idea. "If [Burton] had a fresh take on it, I would certainly go for the ride with him," Elfman said. He then reiterated that Burton had never "expressed any interest" in the idea and that the director "felt like [Nightmare] was a pure thing and that it was what it was."
Danny Elfman and Tim Burton have had a long and fruitful partnership, with Elfman scoring most of the director's films. The Nightmare Before Christmas is now a classic, but Elfman acknowledges the mixed reception of the movie at release. "When it came out... virtually every interview started with: 'Too scary for kids, right?'" he said. The former Oingo Boingo frontman couldn't be more pleased with where the film is at today, though, revealing that he gets "recordings of people's kids who are 4 years old singing What's This? or This is Halloween," and that this experience makes him "feel really blessed."
Elfman went on to credit Disney for recognizing the film's longevity and "putting energy back into it." He said the film's dedicated following helped the media giant to understand the value of the film and that "not many companies would have done that." The composer -- who also provided the singing voice for the film's skeletal hero, Jack Skellington -- concluded, "I consider the persistence of Nightmare Before Christmas to be one of my real pleasures in life."
The 1993 stop-motion classic did see a continuation of sorts several times, beginning with 2005's PS2 and Xbox game, TNBC: Oogie's Revenge. There is also a video game prequel to the movie from the same year, TNBC: The Pumpkin King. It is not clear whether Disney considers these storylines canon. However, an official sequel to the movie will soon be available from Disney Books in the form of a novel called Long Live the Pumpkin Queen. Written by Shea Earnshaw, the book focuses on Jack Skellington's wife, Sally, and will release in early July.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is now streaming on Disney+.
Source: ComicBook.com