The Nightmare Before Christmas Director Says Sequel Unlikely but Shorts Are Possible

In the decades since its debut, the Henry Selick-directed The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a staple of the holiday season, and while a proper sequel is supposedly off the table, the director recently revealed that it’s possible that a short could be something that comes to fruition. Part of the charm of the movie is its stop-motion animation style and, while Selick noted that talks of a sequel have come up over the years, the studio seemingly wanted him and collaborator Tim Burton to develop such a project with CG animation, which didn’t at all appeal to either of them.

While discussing the idea of a sequel with Collider, Selick confirmed that a “sequel has come up several times. Initially, they always said, ‘But it will have to be CG.’ And that was a non-starter for me. It certainly was for Tim Burton.”

Thanks to Disney+, the studio now has a platform to release exclusive content and shorts, with a variety of beloved properties being revived with short-form content. Selick confessed that, while the idea of shorts hasn’t been discussed at this point, he could see Burton being on board with such an endeavor.

“The idea of a short has never come up in the past… I think that Tim might be open to a short,” the director detailed. “It would have to be so refreshing…such a new take to justify making a sequel, but a short makes good sense.”

Given the inherent potential of that world, Selick began to brainstorm, “A short that’s about Zero… his viewpoint of the world or a day in his life … I think that’s a fantastic idea. And doable. I predict Tim would back [it] then.”

Interestingly enough, The Nightmare Before Christmas hit theaters in 1993, the same year that saw Disney debut the Halloween-themed adventure Hocus Pocus. Both films failed to make a major impact at the time, yet each passing year has seen their followings grow more passionate. Later this month, the long-awaited sequel Hocus Pocus 2 will be debuting on Disney+, reminding audiences that even unlikely sequels could still be developed, though the intensive animation process of The Nightmare Before Christmas might be what makes developing a follow-up such a challenge.

Stay tuned for updates on the possible future of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Would you like to see the film get a sequel or shorts? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!