It marked its era, becoming over time a cult work. Will one of the best animated films of the 90s have a sequel?
Released in France in December 1994, 29 years ago, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become an absolutely cult film for millions of fans! Directed by Henry Selick, written and produced by Tim Burton, this masterpiece of animated cinema has left a lasting impression.
Recently, Henry Selick opened the door to a possible prequel, while being aware that this idea would not please Tim Burton. The latter confirmed his categorical refusal to make a sequel to the film in the columns of Empire magazine.
I don’t want this to happen to The Nightmare Before Christmas.
“For me, the film is very important”insisted Tim Burton. “I’ve done sequels, I’ve done other things, I’ve done reboots, I’ve done all this shit, right? I don’t want that to happen to The Strange Mr. Jack’s Christmas. It’s good that people are interested in another part but I’m not.”he assured.
“I feel like that old man who owns a little piece of land and doesn’t want to sell to the big power plant that wants to take over his land. I’m like that grumpy old man who barks: Don’t touch my land . You’re not going to get this property! I don’t care what you want to build there. You’re coming on my property… Where’s my gun?”underlined the director of Batman in a slightly more caustic tone.
Tim Burton loves Jack Skellington because he is very close to him. “He is a character perceived as being dark, but in reality he is light”explains the director.
“That’s the kind of thing I love, whether it’s Edward Scissorhands or Batman, characters that have that personality. He represented all the feelings that I had. I was seen as a dark character although this was not the case.he concluded.
As a reminder, the story of the film introduces us to Jack Skellington, king of pumpkins and guide to Halloween town. The latter is bored: for centuries, he has had enough of preparing the same Halloween party that comes back every year and he dreams of change. That’s when he gets the idea to take over the Christmas party!
As for Tim Burton, if he will never make a sequel to Mr. Jack, he is filming another one at the moment: Beetlejuice 2. The theatrical release is scheduled for September 11, 2024.