'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is undoubtedly a classic animation as well as a festive favourite.
It's hard to believe that the film is celebrating 30 years in 2023 - but while its director Henry Selick has ruled out the idea of a sequel, he has admitted that the idea of a prequel is an option.
Selick told People magazine that there was a huge amount of work involved in the stop-motion original, which tells the story of Jack Skellington - the King of Halloween Town - who stumbles upon Christmas Town and attempts to recreate in his own town instead of Halloween.
The original, says Selick, is "a perfect movie [that] came out of the perfect time, only to grow into something far bigger over the years. I think Tim [Burton] in particular feels like, why mess with that? He certainly doesn’t need to make more money from a sequel. He has had so many other successes, and 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."
Burton conceived the idea for the film, as well as produced the 1993 original.
However, Selick added that a prequel may be more realistic. "There might be a more interesting story there about how Jack became the King of Halloween Town," he said.
'The Nightmare Before Christmas' has gained a huge cult following over the last thirty years. Actor Chris Sarandon, who voiced Jack in the film, has previously expressed enthusiasm for reprising his role in any potential sequel; here's hoping he's equally open to the notion of a prequel, if it actually happens.
