The Nightmare Before Christmas originated from a poem written byTim Burton in 1982 while he was working as an animator atWalt Disney Productions. With the critical success ofVincent that same year, Burton began to consider developing the film as either ashort film or a half-hour television special, to no avail. Over the years, Burton's thoughts regularly returned to the project, and, in 1990, he made a development deal withWalt Disney Studios. Production started in July 1991. Disney initially released the film through theTouchstone Pictures label because the studio believed the film'sgothic tone would be "too dark and scary for kids".
The Nightmare Before Christmas premiered at theNew York Film Festival on October 9, 1993, and was given a limited release on October 13, before a wide theatrical release on October 29. The film was met with critical and commercial success upon release, and has since garnered acult following. It was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Visual Effects, a first for an animated film. Thirteen years after its initial release, the film wasreissued byWalt Disney Pictures and was re-released annually from 2006 until 2010.
In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."[6]
Halloween town is afantasy world populated by various monsters and supernatural beings associated with the eponymous holiday.Jack Skellington, the well-respected Pumpkin King, leads the town in organizing its annual celebrations. This year however, Jack grows tired of the same routine and longs for something new. Upon discovering trees containing doors to other holiday-themed worlds, Jack stumbles through the one leading toChristmas Town and is fascinated by the unfamiliar holiday.
Jack returns home and shares his discovery with his friends and neighbors, but they struggle to grasp the concept of Christmas, although they relate to its ruler,Santa Claus, or "Sandy Claws" as Jack mistakenly dubs him. After several futile attempts at finding a way to rationally explain Christmas, Jack decides to "improve" the holiday instead. He announces that Halloween Town will take over Christmas this year and assigns Christmas-themed jobs, such as singing carols, making presents and building a sleigh pulled by skeletalreindeer, to various residents.
Sally, thefeminine creation of localmad scientist Doctor Finkelstein, experiences avision predicting that their efforts will end disastrously. Jack, whom she secretly loves, dismisses her warnings and instructs her to make a Santa Claus suit for him. He tasks mischievoustrick-or-treating trio Lock, Shock and Barrel with abducting Santa; however, he orders them not to involve their superior Oogie Boogie, abogeyman with a passion forgambling and Jack's long-time rival, in their plot.
When Lock, Shock and Barrel bring Santa to Halloween Town, Jack tells him that he will take care of Christmas this year and orders the trio to keep Santa safe. However, they disobey Jack's orders and bring Santa to Oogie, who plots to play a game with Santa's life at stake. As Jack departs to deliver presents in the real world, Sally, after failing to stop him beforehand, attempts to rescue Santa from Oogie, only to be captured herself.
Jack's Halloween-themed presents terrify the real world's populace, who contact the local authorities and are instructed to lock down their homes for protection. The military is alerted and Jack is shot out of the sky, leading Halloween Town's populace to believe he is dead. It is revealed that he survived and has crashed into a nearbycemetery. Bemoaning the trouble that he has caused, Jack realizes he nonetheless enjoyed the experience and that it gave him new ideas for celebrating next Halloween, reigniting his love for the holiday.
Upon returning home, Jack rescues Santa and Sally, confronts Oogie and defeats him by unraveling a thread holding his cloth form together, causing all of theinsects inside Oogie to spill out and reduce him to nothing. Though displeased with Jack for his foolish actions and not listening to Sally earlier, Santa makes amends with him and resumes his yearly duties, replacing Jack's presents with genuine ones and saving Christmas.
All of Halloween Town celebrates Jack's return. Santa brings a snowfall to the town, thereby bringing the Christmas spirit upon it, while Jack and Sally finally declare their love for each other.
The voices forJack Skellington's spoken lines andSally were respectively provided by Sarandon and O'Hara.
Danny Elfman (singing voice) andChris Sarandon (speaking voice) asJack Skellington, askeleton known as the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town. Elfman was initially cast as Jack's singing voice and, after the songs were recorded, Sarandon was cast to match Elfman's voice style.[7][8][9]
Elfman also voices:
Barrel, one of the trick-or-treaters working for Oogie Boogie.[10][11]
The Clown with the Tear-Away Face, a demonic entity disguised as a unicycle-riding clown.[10][11]
Sally, arag doll-like creation of Finkelstein and Jack's love interest. She is atoxicologist who uses various types of poison to liberate herself from the captivity of her creator. She is psychic and has premonitions when something bad is about to happen. O'Hara had previously co-starred in Burton'sBeetlejuice.[11]
Shock, one of the trick-or-treaters working for Oogie Boogie.[11]
William Hickey asDoctor Finkelstein, amad scientist and the loving and overbearing creator of Sally. He is listed in the credits only as "Evil Scientist" and is only mentioned by name twice in the film.[11]
Glenn Shadix as theMayor of Halloween Town, an enthusiastic leader who conducts town meetings. His double-sided head spins between a "happy" and "sad" face, mirroring his wild mood swings; where some career politicians are described as figuratively two-faced, the mayor is literally so. Shadix and Burton had previously worked onBeetlejuice.[11]
Ken Page asOogie Boogie, the film's main antagonist, a villainousbogeyman in Halloween Town, who has a passion for gambling and rivalry with Jack. Unlike the other citizens of Halloween Town who only scare for fun and don't wish to cause harm, Oogie is ruthless and despises Halloween Town for banishing him.[11]
Ed Ivory asSanta Claus, the ruler of Christmas Town. Santa is responsible for the annual celebration of Christmas, in which he delivers presents to children in the real world. He is also referred to by Jack and Halloween Town's residents as "Sandy Claws". Ivory also provides the brief narration at the start of the film.[12]
Joe Ranft as Igor, one of Doctor Finkelstein's creations and his lab assistant.[10]
The cast also features Debi Durst,Greg Proops, Kerry Katz, Randy Crenshaw, Sherwood Ball,Carmen Twillie, Glenn Walters andJohn Morris handling additional character voices.[10]Patrick Stewart recorded Santa Claus narration for a prologue and epilogue. While not used in the final film, the narration is included on thesoundtrack album.[13]
As writer Tim Burton's upbringing inBurbank, California, was associated with the feeling of solitude, the filmmaker was largely fascinated by holidays during his childhood. "Anytime there was Christmas or Halloween, [...] it was great. It gave you some sort of texture all of a sudden that wasn't there before," Burton would later recall.[14] After completing his short filmVincent in 1982,[14] Burton, who was then employed atWalt Disney Feature Animation, wrote a three-page poem titledThe Nightmare Before Christmas, drawing inspiration from television specials ofRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and the poemA Visit from St. Nicholas.[15] Burton intended to adapt the poem into a television special with the narration spoken by his favorite actor,Vincent Price,[16] but also considered other options such as a children's book.[17] He createdconcept art andstoryboards for the project in collaboration withRick Heinrichs, who alsosculpted character models;[18][19] Burton later showed his and Heinrichs' works-in-progress toHenry Selick, also a Disney animator at the time.[20] After the success ofVincent in 1982, Disney started to consider developingThe Nightmare Before Christmas as either a short film or 30-minute holiday television special.[18] However, the project's development eventually stalled, as its tone seemed "too weird" to the company.[21] As Disney was unable to "offer his nocturnal loners enough scope", Burton was fired from the studio in 1984[16] and went on to direct the commercially successful filmsBeetlejuice (1988) andBatman (1989) forWarner Bros. Pictures.[21]
Over the years, Burton regularly thought about the project. In 1990, Burton found out that Disney still owned thefilm rights.[14] He and Selick committed to produce a full-length film expanding on the poem's storyline with the latter as director.[20] Selick chose not to work withMTV for a series based on his short filmSlow Bob in the Lower Dimensions to direct this film.[22] Burton's own success with live-action films piqued the interest ofWalt Disney Studios chairmanJeffrey Katzenberg, who saw the film as an opportunity to continue the studio's streak ofrecent successes in feature animation.[15][23] Disney was looking forward toNightmare "to show capabilities of technical and storytelling achievements that were present inWho Framed Roger Rabbit."[24]Walt Disney Pictures presidentDavid Hoberman believed the film would prove to be a creative achievement for Disney's image, elaborating "we can think outside the envelope. We can do different and unusual things."[25]
Nightmare marked Burton's third consecutive film with a Christmas setting. Burton could not direct because of his commitment toBatman Returns (and was also in pre production onEd Wood), and he did not want to be involved with "the painstakingly slow process ofstop motion".[20] To adapt his poem into a screenplay, Burton approachedMichael McDowell, his collaborator onBeetlejuice. McDowell and Burton experienced creative differences, which convinced Burton to make the film as amusical with lyrics and compositions by frequent collaboratorDanny Elfman. Elfman and Burton created a rough storyline and two-thirds of the film's songs.[4] Elfman found writingNightmare's eleven songs to be "one of the easiest jobs I've ever had. I had a lot in common withJack Skellington."[18]Caroline Thompson had yet to be hired to write the screenplay.[4] With Thompson's screenplay, Selick stated, "there are very few lines of dialogue that are Caroline's. She became busy on other films and we were constantly rewriting, re-configuring and developing the film visually."[26] Thompson clashed with Burton and he also destroyed the editing machine after she said she wanted to redraft the film's ending.[27]
Selick and his team of animators began production in July 1991 in San Francisco, California, with a crew of over 120 workers, utilizing 20sound stages for filming.[20][28][22]Joe Ranft was hired from Disney as a storyboard supervisor, while Eric Leighton was hired to supervise animation.[29] At the peak of production, 20 individual stages were simultaneously being used for filming.[30] In total, there were 109,440 frames taken for the film. The work ofRay Harryhausen,Ladislas Starevich,Edward Gorey,Étienne Delessert,Gahan Wilson,Charles Addams,Jan Lenica,Francis Bacon, andWassily Kandinsky influenced the filmmakers. Selick described theproduction design as akin to apop-up book.[18][26] In addition, Selick stated, "When we reach Halloween Town, it's entirelyGerman Expressionism. When Jack enters Christmas Town, it's an outrageousDr. Seuss-esque setpiece. Finally, when Jack is delivering presents in the 'Real World', everything is plain, simple and perfectly aligned."[31]Vincent Price,Don Ameche, andJames Earl Jones were considered to provide the narration for the film's prologue; however, all proved difficult to cast, and the producers instead hired local voice artist Ed Ivory.[7]Patrick Stewart provided the prologue narration for the film's soundtrack.[32]
On the direction of the film, Selick reflected, "It's as though [Burton] laid the egg, and I sat on it and hatched it. He wasn't involved in a hands-on way, but his hand is in it. It was my job to make it look like 'a Tim Burton film', which is not so different from my own films."[26] When asked about Burton's involvement, Selick claimed, "I don't want to take away from Tim, but he was not in San Francisco when we made it. He came up five times over two years, and spent no more than eight or ten days in total."[26]Walt Disney Feature Animation contributed with digital effects and some second-layeringtraditional animation.[20] Burton found production somewhat difficult, because he was simultaneously filmingBatman Returns and inpre-production forEd Wood.[4]
The filmmakers constructed 227 puppets to represent the characters in the movie, with Jack Skellington having "around four hundred heads", allowing the expression of every possible emotion.[33] Sally's mouth movements "were animated through the replacement method. During the animation process, [...] only Sally's face 'mask' was removed in order to preserve the order of her long, red hair. Sally had ten types of faces, each made with a series of eleven expressions (e.g. eyes open and closed, and various facial poses) and synchronized mouth movements."[34] The stop-motion figurine of Jack was reused inJames and the Giant Peach (also directed by Selick) as Captain Jack.[35]
Americangothic rock bandLondon After Midnight featured a cover of "Sally's Song" on their 1998 albumOddities.[38]Pentatonix released a cover of "Making Christmas" for their 2018 Christmas albumChristmas Is Here!.[39] In 2003, the DisneylandHaunted Mansion Holiday soundtrack CD was released. Although most of the album's songs are not original ones from the film, one song is a medley of "Making Christmas", "What's This?", and "Kidnap the Sandy Claws". Other songs included are original holiday songs changed to incorporate the theme of the film. However, the last song is the soundtrack for the DisneylandHaunted Mansion Holiday ride.[40]
The Nightmare Before Christmas was originally going to be released under Walt Disney Pictures as part of theWalt Disney Feature Animation lineup, but Disney decided to release the film under the studio's adult-orientedTouchstone Pictures banner, because the studio thought the film would be "too dark and scary for kids," Selick remembered. "Their biggest fear, and why it was kind of a stepchild project, [was] they were afraid of theircore audience hating the film and not coming."[29] To convey Burton's involvement and attract a wider audience, Disney marketed the film asTim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.[41] According to Selick, the decision was made approximately three weeks before the film went into wide release.[42] Burton explained that, "...it turned more into more of abrand-name thing, it turned into something else, which I'm not quite sure about."[4] The film made its world premiere on the opening day celebration of theNew York Film Festival on October 9, 1993,[43] and was given alimited release on October 13, 1993, before itswide theatrical release on October 29, 1993.[44][45]
In October 2020,The Nightmare Before Christmas was re-released in 2,194 theaters. It grossed $1.3 million over the weekend, finishing fourth behindTenet.[49] For the film's 30th anniversary and in commemoration of The Walt Disney Company'scentennial, it was re-released in theaters across the United States and Canada on October 20, 2023, including engagements in4DX.[50][51] The film was once again theatrically re-released on October 11, 2024.[52][53]
With years of successfulhome video sales,The Nightmare Before Christmas later achieved the ranks of acult film.[29]Touchstone Home Video first released the film onVHS andLaserDisc (in both deluxe CAV and widescreen editions) on September 30, 1994, and onDVD on December 2, 1997.The Nightmare Before Christmas was released on DVD a second time on October 3, 2000, as aspecial edition. The release included anaudio commentary by Selick and cinematographer Pete Kozachik, a 28-minutemaking-of documentary, a gallery of concept art, storyboards, test footage anddeleted scenes. Burton'sVincent (1982) andFrankenweenie (1984) were also included.[54] Both DVDs werenon-anamorphic widescreen releases. The film was released onUMD forPlayStation Portable on October 25, 2005.[55]
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment reissued the DVD (this time with an anamorphic transfer) and onBlu-ray Disc (for the first time) on August 26, 2008, as a two-discdigitally remastered "collector's edition", but still containing the same special features.[54] Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releasedThe Nightmare Before Christmas onBlu-ray 3D on August 30, 2011. The release included a Blu-ray 3D disc, Blu-ray disc and a DVD that includes both a DVD anddigital copy.[56][57] In 2018, a sing-along version, accompanied by the theatrical cut and aMovies Anywhere copy, as a single-disc version for the film's 25th anniversary.[58] In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the film was remastered in4K and was released on4K Blu-ray, including extra content, on August 22, 2023.[59][60]
Disney has extensively marketed the film and its characters across many forms of media and memorabilia, including action figures, books, games, art crafts, and fashion products. Jack Skellington, Sally, Pajama Jack, and the Mayor have been made into bendable figures,[61] Sally has been made into an action figure and a Halloween costume.[62] VariousDisneyland and the branching theme parks host attractions featuringNightmare characters, particularly during Halloween and Christmas seasons. Since 2001,Disneyland has given itsHaunted Mansion Holiday attraction aNightmare Before Christmas theme for the holiday season. It features characters, decorations and music from the film, in addition toMickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party andMickey's Halloween Party featuring the film's characters.[63][45] Additionally, Jack hosts theHalloween Screams andNot So Spooky Spectacular! fireworks shows atMagic Kingdom (where the host is Ghost Host) and Disneyland (where the host is Jack himself), as well as theFrightfully Fun Parade.[64][65][66]
Around the release of the film, Hoberman was quoted, "I hopeNightmare goes out and makes a fortune. If it does, great. If it doesn't, that doesn't negate the validity of the process. The budget was less than any Disneyblockbuster so it doesn't have to earnAladdin-sized grosses to satisfy us."[18] The film earned $50 million in the United States in its initial theatrical run[5] and was regarded as a moderatesleeper hit.[45]
The Nightmare Before Christmas made an additional $11.1 million in box office gross in its 2006 reissue.[5][44] The 2007, 2008, 2009, 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025 reissues earned $15.9 million, $2.6 million, $2.6 million, $10.4 million, $6.1 million, and $966,637 respectively, increasing the film's total box office gross to $108.5 million.[5][67] It would also finish in top 10 during the first three-day weekend of its 2024 re-release, grossing $2.4 million.[68]
OnRotten Tomatoes,The Nightmare Before Christmas holds a rating of 95% based on 106 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stunningly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation."[69] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[70] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[71]
Roger Ebert praised the film's visual inventiveness: "One of the many pleasures ofTim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is that there is not a single recognizable landscape in it. Everything looks strange and haunting. Even Santa Claus would be difficult to recognize without his red-and-white uniform." He wrote that it presented a world "that is as completely new as the worlds we saw for the first time in such films asMetropolis,The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari andStar Wars. What all of these films have in common is a visual richness, so abundant they deserve more than one viewing." He wrote that "The songs by Danny Elfman are fun too, a couple of them using lyrics so clever they could be updated fromGilbert & Sullivan. And the choreography, liberated from gravity and reality, has an energy of its own, as when the furniture, the architecture, and the very landscape itself gets in on the act." He notes that "some of the Halloween creatures might be a tad scary for smaller children, but this is the kind of movie older kids will eat up; it has the kind of offbeat, subversive energy that tells them wonderful things are likely to happen."[72]
Peter Travers ofRolling Stone called it a restoration of "originality and daring to the Halloween genre. This dazzling mix of fun and fright also explodes the notion that animation is kid stuff. ... It's 74 minutes of timeless movie magic."[73]James Berardinelli stated "The Nightmare Before Christmas has something to offer just about everyone. For the kids, it's a fantasy celebrating two holidays. For the adults, it's an opportunity to experience some light entertainment while marveling at how adept Hollywood has become at these techniques. There are songs, laughs, and a little romance. In short,The Nightmare Before Christmas does what it intends to: entertain."[74]Desson Thomson ofThe Washington Post enjoyed the film's similarities to the writings ofOscar Wilde and theBrothers Grimm, as well asThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and otherGerman Expressionist films.[75]
Michael A. Morrison discusses the influence ofDr. Seuss'How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on the film, writing that Jack parallels the Grinch and Zero parallels Max, the Grinch's dog.[76]Philip Nel writes that the film "challenges the wisdom of adults through its trickster characters", contrasting Jack as a "good trickster" with Oogie Boogie, whom he also compares with Seuss'Dr. Terwilliker as a bad trickster.[77]Entertainment Weekly reports that fan reception of these characters borders on obsession, profiling Laurie and Myk Rudnick, a couple whose "degree of obsession with [the] film is so great that ... they named their son after the real-life person that a character in the film is based on."[78] This enthusiasm for the characters has also been profiled as having spread beyond North America to Japan.[79]Yvonne Tasker notes "the complex characterization seen inThe Nightmare Before Christmas".[80]
In 2001, Disney began to consider producing a sequel, but rather than usingstop motion, they wanted to usecomputer animation.[87] Burton convinced Disney to drop the idea. "I was always very protective of [The Nightmare Before Christmas], not to do sequels or things of that kind," Burton explained. "You know, Jack visitsThanksgiving world or other kinds of things just because I felt the movie had a purity to it and the people that like it, because it's a mass-market kind of thing, it was important to kind of keep that purity of it."[48] The 2004 video gameThe Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge did serve as a sequel of the film, withCapcom's crew of developers going after Burton for advice[88] and having the collaboration of the film's art director, Deane Taylor.[89] In 2009, Selick said he would do a film sequel if he and Burton could create a good story for it.[90]
In February 2019, it was reported that a newNightmare Before Christmas film was in the works with Disney considering either a stop-motion sequel or live-action remake.[91] In October 2019,Chris Sarandon expressed interest on reprising his role as Jack Skellington if a sequel film ever materializes.[92]
On February 22, 2021,Disney Publishing announced that a sequel was given to the 1993 film in the form of ayoung adult novel, released asLong Live the Pumpkin Queen. It was written by Shea Ernshaw and features Sally as the main character, told through her point-of-view, with events taking place after the film.[93] The book was released on August 2, 2022.[94]
In October 2023, Selick stated that he would like to do aprequel film about how Jack became king of Halloween Town.[95][96] The following month, however, Burton said that he did not want to see any further projects in that universe.[97] In August 2024, Selick expressed doubt that a sequel would ever materialize, not wanting to "beat [the film] to death."[98]
In the bookThe Nightmare Before Christmas (2025), the authors note the film's long-standing fandom and presence within popular culture.[99]This includes a proliferation of merchandise surrounding it ranging from action figures, clothing, board games, novels, comics, and jewelry.[100]
Various action figures were released since the film's release, including ten from Hasbro in 1993. Alec Plowman inThe Nightmare Before Christmas (2025) found these action figures "uncharacteristically detailed" for figures of the era with an emphasis on screen accuracy of the characters and being released with display stands.[101][102] Plowman said this was due to rise of the nascant adult collector market for toys that was emerging in the 1990s.[102] Other brands would release toys for the film in the 21st century includingNECA andFunko.[103]
Acollectible card game based on the film calledThe Nightmare Before Christmas TCG was released in 2005 byNECA. The game was designed by Quixotic Games founder Andrew Parks[104] Quixotic Games also developedThe Nightmare Before Christmas Party Game that was released in 2007 byNECA.[105] AThe Nightmare Before Christmas-themedJenga game was issued with orange, purple and black blocks with Jack Skellington heads on them. The set comes in a coffin-shaped box instead of the normal rectangular box.[106]
On September 15, 2020, aNightmare Before Christmas-themedtarot card deck and guidebook was released and the illustration was done byAbigail Larson.[107] On October 27, 2023, Disney partnered withMattel to produce a Jack and Sally doll under theirMonster High toyline.[108][109]
In 1993, apop-up book based on the film was released on October 1. Another pop-up book calendar titledNightmare Before Christmas Pop-Up Book and Advent Calendar was released September 29, 2020.[110]Disney Press released aTim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Party Cookbook: Recipes and Crafts for the Perfect Spooky Party on August 21, 2017.[111] A behind-the-scenes art book titledTim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas: The Film, the Art, the Vision was released on October 14, 1993, and a Disney Editions Deluxe edition was published July 28, 2009.
In 2006, a picture book containing the poem Tim Burton wrote that originated the film was released on August 15.[112] In celebration of the film's 20th anniversary, the poem was re-released with a hardcover edition in 2013. On July 20, 2009, an illustrated book covering theHaunted Mansion Holiday attraction's rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" song titledNightmare Before Christmas: The 13 Days of Christmas was published. In celebration of the film's 25th anniversary, a book and CD, featuring narration and sound effects, was released on July 3, 2018.[113]
In honor of the film's 25th anniversary, a Cinestory Comic made by Disney and published by Joe Books LTD was released on September 26, 2017.[114] Agraphic novel retelling of the film by Joe Books LTD was released on July 31, 2018, and digital and hardcover versions were released August 25, 2020.[115] On November 26, 2020, a novel retelling of the film version was released as part of the Disney Animated Classics series.[116] In 2021, another version ofNightmare Before Christmas 13 Days of Christmas came out on July 6 and was soon followed byLittle Golden Books's release of their adaptation ofNightmare Before Christmas on July 13, 2021.[117]
In 2017,Tokyopop secured exclusive licensing for twomanga adaptions forNightmare Before Christmas, with the first manga being an adaptation of the film's plot line, with art by Jun Asuka, released October 17.[118] The second manga, a fully colored series illustrated by Kei Ishiyama and titledZero's Journey, chronicles the adventures of Jack's dog, Zero, in his experiences beginning in Christmas Town after accidentally getting separated from Jack, who tries to find him, and acts as asequel to the film, with Tim Burton's story approval.[119] The 20 issues were first published monthly, starting on October 2, and then collected into four full-color graphic novels, with a black-and-white collector's edition manga edition as well.[120][121] Starting on July 21, 2021, Tokyopop released another sequel manga centered around Sally, titledThe Nightmare Before Christmas: Mirror Moon, written by Mallory Reaves and fully-colored series illustrated by Gabriella Chianello, and Nataliya Torretta. The first two issues will be collected into a graphic novel that is slated to be released on October 26.[122][123]
A novelization of the film written by Daphne Skinner was published on January 1, 1994.[124] On August 2, 2022, a young adult novel titledLong Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw was released. With Sally as the protagonist, with the premise described as "...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". The novel introduced new characters and explored Sally's past, as well as exploring other holiday worlds as Sally and Jack tackle a mysterious villain Sally has accidentally unleashed.[93][125] On November 1, 2022, Tokyopop announced a full-coloredgraphic novel series titledDisney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle for Pumpkin King, which centers around the friendship and rivalry between a young Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie. The graphic novel consisted of five issues, starting with the first release in May 2023, and the full graphic novel edition is available in September 2023.[126]
A novelization forThe Nightmare Before Christmas, written by Megan Shepherd was released on July 4, 2023, to celebrate the 30th anniversary. On July 20, 2023, Shepherd also revealed that she will be writing a sequel to Ernshaw'sPumpkin Queen book and was expected for release in 2024.[127] On June 24, 2025, the title of the book was announced asHour of the Pumpkin Queen and it will be available on July 8, 2025.[128]On July 19, 2023, Disney announced that it is partnering withDynamite Entertainment to publish new comics based on the film, with the first project being written by Torunn Grønbekk.[129][130] On August 22, 2023, Epic Ink published a cultural book titled "Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy'" by writer Emily Zemler.[131]
TwoNightmare Before Christmas video games were released in the 2000s:The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge (2004) andThe Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (2005).[132][133]Ooogie's Revenge was released first in Japan, withIGN editor Ivan Sulic noting that was due to the film being far more popular in that country than it was in North America.[133] The game acts as a direct narrative sequel set one year after the events of the film. It includes contributions of voice actors and some crew of the film, including the art director.[134]
Elfman'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas live at theHollywood Bowl, 2015
A live concert, produced byDisney Concerts, was held at theHollywood Bowl in October 2015 and was followed by subsequent performances in 2016 and 2018. The shows featured Elfman, O'Hara, and Page reprising their roles from the film. In December 2019, this show came to Europe, with dates in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Dublin.[136]
In October 2021, Disney hosted a live-to-film concert of Tim Burton'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas for two nights at LA'sBanc of California Stadium on October 29 and 31. The show featuredBillie Eilish singing as Sally andDanny Elfman reprising his role as Jack.Ken Page reprised the role of Oogie Boogie, while"Weird Al" Yankovic sang as Shock. The concert included a full orchestra led by acclaimed conductorJohn Mauceri to perform the film's score and songs live.[139][140][141][142]
In October 2021, Disney announced that they were hosting another live-to-film concert at theOVO Arena Wembley in London on December 9 and 10, 2022. The show featured Elfman and Page reprising their respective roles, while John Mauceri returned as conductor alongside theBBC Concert Orchestra. Acclaimed singer and songwriterPhoebe Bridgers took on the role of Sally.[143]
In October 2023, Disney hosted another concert from October 27–29 at theHollywood Bowl. Elfman, Page,Catherine O'Hara, and other guest stars are set to appear, includingHalsey, who is sharing the role of Sally with O'Hara.[144][145] However, days before the concert, Halsey dropped out from her role due to a "scheduling conflict".[146][147] In September 2025, it was announced the show would return to the Hollywood Bowl on October 25 and 26 of that same year. Elfman will return as Jack, withKeith David as Oogie-Boogie,Janelle Monae as Sally,Riki Lindhome as Shock, andJohn Stamos as Lock.[148]
Disney Interactive Studios released anAs Told by Emoji animated adaptation ofThe Nightmare Before Christmas in 2016, which can be found on their officialYouTube channel.[149] In 2024,Lego released a two-thousand-piece set, which includes three locations from the film: Spiral Hill, Jack Skellington's house, and Halloween Town Hall.[150][151]
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^Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca. "Introduction". In Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca (eds.).The Nightmare Before Christmas.Bloomsbury Academic. p. 3.ISBN979-8-7651-1361-5.
^Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca. "Introduction". In Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca (eds.).The Nightmare Before Christmas.Bloomsbury Academic. p. 4.ISBN979-8-7651-1361-5.
^Plowman, Alec. "Action Figures and the Contextual Reframing of the Nightmare Before Christmas". In Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca (eds.).The Nightmare Before Christmas.Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 55–56.ISBN979-8-7651-1361-5.
^abPlowman, Alec. "Action Figures and the Contextual Reframing of the Nightmare Before Christmas". In Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca (eds.).The Nightmare Before Christmas.Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 59–60.ISBN979-8-7651-1361-5.
^Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca. "Introduction". In Antunes, Filipa; Eldridge, Brittany; Williams, Rebecca (eds.).The Nightmare Before Christmas. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 11.ISBN979-8-7651-1361-5.
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