The Nightmare Before Christmas Prequel: Will It Happen?

The Nightmare Before Christmas prequel has been suggested by Henry Selick, director of the 1993 original created by Tim Burton, and already the idea of a movie focusing on Jack Skellington’s origins is gaining traction. It’s been three decades since the stop-motion classic directed by Selick and based on a Tim Burton story was released by Disney. While there’s been near-continuous demand for a sequel ever since there’s been little thought given to a prequel showing how Jack Skellington became the king of Halloween Town.

Now, thanks to a teasing pitch made by Henry Selick in an interview, there’s speculation about a possible prequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas. The narrative of the first movie could certainly justify it, as it finds Jack after being in his position as the patron spirit of Halloween for so long that he’s bored with the role and seeks to take over Christmas instead. The enigmatic skeleton certainly has more to his story than the 1993 original shows, and if Disney and Henry Selick want to return to the world of the Pumpkin King then The Nightmare Before Christmas prequel is a more than viable way to do so.

Most Recent Nightmare Before Christmas Prequel News

The latest news on the Nightmare Before Christmas prequel arrived on October 15, 2023, when director Henry Selick first put forward the idea for a movie focusing on Jack Skellington’s origins and how he became Halloween Town’s Pumpkin King.

Speaking to People, Selick and Jack Skellington voice actor Chris Sarandon both expressed their interest in revisiting the world of The Nightmare Before Christmas for a story set before the events of the first film. “It might be more interesting to do a prequel. There might be a more interesting story there about how Jack became the King of Halloween Town.” Selick stated, to which Sarandon followed up with “To quote Henry, "F--- yeah." If there were a sequel, I'd be there in a minute.”

There has been demand for a The Nightmare Before Christmas 2 for decades, with various ideas for a follow-up to Henry Selick and Tim Burton’s 1993 inter-holiday musical floated by over the years. A prequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas would be an interesting direction if Disney chose to revisit the franchise, and while Selick’s comments were brief they already seem to have captured the imagination of The Nightmare Before Christmas’ passionate fanbase.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Prequel Isn’t Confirmed

There’s been no announcements around who would return for a follow-up to Henry Selick and Tim Burton’s 1993 movie, so it’s difficult to predict the cast of The Nightmare Before Christmas prequel. Given the Jack Skellington actor’s comments, it’s likely that Chris Sarandon (Child’s Play, The Princess Bride) would reprise his role as the speaking voice of the Pumpkin King himself. Given the popularity of her performance in the original, there’d definitely be expectations that Catherine O’Hara (Beetlejuice, Home Alone) would be back to play ragdoll toxicologist Sally.

The rest of the cast members of The Nightmare Before Christmas prequel would depend on what happens in Jack’s origin story. The first movie hinted at bad blood between Jack and antagonist Oogie Boogie, played by musician Ken Page (Dream Girls, Shortcut to Happiness). A prequel could explain why this is, and would likely mean Page’s return to play the gambling boogeyman the residents of Halloween Town both shun and fear.

Unfortunately, William Hickey, who voiced the utterly disturbing mad scientist Dr. Finkelstein, passed away in 1997, so the character would have to be recast. It’s almost a guarantee that Finkelstein would be present in the prequel too, since it could show both how he formed his friendship with occasional aspiring scientist Jack Skellington, and how he created Sally.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Prequel Story

While there’s not been any confirmation on the specifics of The Nightmare Before Christmas prequel, director Henry Selick’s comments suggest it would be focused on Jack Skellington and how he became the King of Halloween Town. This already gives several clues about the possible plot, such as that Jack wasn’t always the king, and that Halloween Town either had no ruler or a different one entirely (possibly even Oogie Boogie, which would create an interesting dynamic for their relationship in The Nightmare Before Christmas).

Several games such as the Kingdom Hearts series and 2005 platformer The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King have filled in Jack Skellington’s origins a little, though with nothing that’s considered canon. In The Pumpkin King, for example, it’s revealed that Oogie Boogie once invaded Halloween Town after his own holiday - the fictional Bug Day - was forgotten by the people of the real world. While there’s no guarantee that this will be the case in The Nightmare Before Christmas prequel it’s possible that Henry Selick and Disney could look to the various tie-in media that exists for inspiration.