The Nightmare Before Christmas Star Would Crawl Across the Country to Play Jack Skellington in a Sequel

While The Nightmare Before Christmas might not have been a major sensation when it debuted in 1993, subsequent decades have seen the film become a major force among movie fans, leading to an increased desire for a follow-up film, which star Chris Sarandon would gladly get involved in. The actor has reprised his role of Jack Skellington in a variety of video games, but fans have yet to see an official feature film depicting the continued adventures of the Halloween mascot and the fallout of that fateful night when he attempted to replace Santa Clause after becoming enamored with Christmas traditions.

“I’d crawl on my hands and knees, from the east coast to the west coast, in the spring or the fall, to do it again,” Sarandon shared with ComicBook.com when discussing a sequel. “Of course I would. I love that character and I love that I’m part of a legacy of that character as well.”

While there might not currently be announced plans for a sequel, reports emerged earlier this year that a possible live-action incarnation of the story could take place, which could either be a follow-up adventure or merely a remake of the original story. If it were up to creator Tim Burton, however, the film would likely stand on its own in perpetuity.

“I was always very protective of [Nightmare], not to do sequels or things of that kind. You know, ‘Jack visits Thanksgiving world’ or other kinds of things, just because I felt the movie had a purity to it and the people that like it,” Burton shared with MTV in 2006 when the film was being converted to 3D. “Because it’s not a mass-market kind of thing, it was important to kind of keep that purity of it. I try to respect people and keep the purity of the project as much as possible.”

Almost a decade after the film landed in theaters, Disneyland debuted Haunted Mansion Holiday at their Haunted Mansion attraction, transforming the area to embrace iconography from the film. The redesign was a major success, running through Halloween and past the Christmas season, helping introduce audiences to the macabre and magical world of the film.

Another reason the film has grown in popularity in recent years is thanks to the TV network Freeform, which is owned by Disney, as it regularly airs the film throughout the Halloween and holiday season, introducing new audiences to it when it was previously relegated to having to be sought out by viewers on home video.

Stay tuned for details on the potential future of The Nightmare Before Christmas franchise. Sarandon is currently working on his memoir, which fans can keep their eyes out for in the future.

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