Tim Burton and Henry Selick discuss the chances of more Nightmare before Christmas movies

With Jack Skellington, Sally and all the inhabitants of Halloween Town having turned 30 this year (man, I’m so old!), we were granted an official prequel comic book from Disney in the form of The Battle for Pumpkin King but fans are still wondering if perhaps well ever see a sequel or prequel to the classic animated movie.

In The Battle for Pumpkin King ‘Jack Skellington is the undisputed Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. But it wasn’t always that way. Years ago, Jack and Oogie Boogie were close friends. Both eager to prove themselves, they poured all their passion into their spooky projects to earn their rightful place as the scariest duo in town. But there could only be one Pumpkin King! What could have happened to turn two best friends into such bitter rivals?’

Sounds good, right? But would you want to see another movie in that universe?

Tim Burton disgruntled with his version of Batman and Superman appearing in The Flash

Director Henry Selick believes that there’s more stories to be told in that world but would be hesitant to jump back in: “[It’s] a perfect movie [that] came out of the perfect time, only to grow into something far bigger over the years.”

But it seems that he, much like the comic above, has an idea that perhaps seeing what came before would be more interesting than what comes next: “It might be more interesting to do a prequel. There might be a more interesting story there about how Jack became the King of Halloweentown.”

Though ultimately, he knows that it would come down to creator Tim Burton – who many people still to this day, think directed the movie – whether or not we’d return to Halloween Town: “I think Tim in particular feels like, why mess with that?” Selick says, “So far nobody’s come up with a great idea for a sequel. And I still think that Tim gets to decide. I don’t think there’s any idea that would convince him.”

Word is that Tim Burton wants Johnny Depp back for Sleepy Hollow sequel

And it seems Selick is spot on; speaking about bringing Jack and the gang back, Burton is pretty firm on his reluctance: “To me the movie is very important,” says Burton.

“I’ve done sequels, I’ve done other things, I’ve done reboots, I’ve done all that shit, right? I don’t want that to happen to this. It’s nice that people are maybe interested [in another one], but I’m not. I feel like that old guy who owns a little piece of property and won’t sell to the big power-plant that wants to take my land… Get off of my land! You pesky little… You ain’t getting this property! I don’t care what you want to build on it. You come on my property… Where’s my shotgun?”

While I would like to spend more time in that world, I have a lot of respect for Burton – and Selick – for not wanting to simply milk Nightmare Before Christmas for more money; indeed, much like Robert Zemeckis with Back to the Future, it seems unlikely that as long as Burton lives, we’ll ever have a sequel and in a time where nostalgia seems to be god and sequels, spinoffs and everything in between are the order of the day, that’s pretty admirable.

It also makes me hopeful that the Beetlejuice sequel will truly be something special as Burton is making it clear he’s not just in it for the cash.

Thoughts? I know you have them! Voice-off in the usual ways on FTN’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Bluesky,
Truth, Tumblr, Threads & Mastodon!

Keaton talks returning as Beetlejuice and making it old school

Sources: People & Empire