The Nightmare Before Christmas Is Getting a Sequel

The Nightmare Before Christmas is getting a sequel (and no, Pete Davison is not involved). Disney Publishing has hired Shea Ernshaw (The Wicked Deep, Winterwood) to pen a YA novel set after the 1993 film. The new story, which is currently untitled, is told from Sally’s point of view and begins sometime after her first kiss with Jack Skellington on Spiral Hill, with the two now married. A new adventure begins for Sally when she accidentally sets a Halloween Town villain free. The villain puts Jack, Halloween Town, and the other holiday-themed towns in the film’s universe, including at least one that fans have never seen before, in danger.

“This new book, written from the point of view of Sally, takes place shortly after the movie ends. It’s the yet-to-be-told love story of Sally and Jack. But it’s also a coming-of-age story for Sally, as we see her navigate her new royal title as the Pumpkin Queen of Halloween Town,” Ernshaw explained in a Disney Q&A run by io9. “[It] will hopefully give fans a long-awaited second dose of Sally, Jack, and all the familiar residents of Halloween Town, while introducing a new cast of grim, strange characters, that I hope readers will love.”

While the book uses Sally’s point of view and Ernshaw sees it as an opportunity to give Sally the same depth of character that Jack got in the film. “One of the core themes in The Nightmare Before Christmas was Jack’s struggle to understand his identity,” she says. “He had grown tired of being the Pumpkin King, and in his longing for something more, he plotted to take over Christmas. In this book, I really wanted to explore Sally’s identity, and better understand not only who she is now that she’s fallen in love with Jack and taken on the role of the Pumpkin Queen, but also understand how her past has affected her present desires, doubts, and dreams.

“What does a ragdoll truly want out of life? What is she afraid of? And how much is she willing to risk to save those she loves? As we will learn in the book, she’s willing to risk quite a lot. Sally is one of the most compelling, and also richly-layered characters I’ve ever written, and it’s an honor to get to tell her story.”

Fans can follow Sally’s story when Ernshaw’s new The Nightmare Before Christmas YA novel debuts in July 2022.