'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Legend Tragically Passes Away

If you are a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas, we have some truly unfortunate news to share that will surely shake the ground of Hollywood, as well as the NBC fandom.

As Halloween approaches, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is only just now coming out of its shell. Audiences everywhere are now ready to once again watch Jack Skellington, king of Halloween, discover Christmas, and ruin it for everyone. The Halloween / Christmas film has been so popular over the years, that it has infiltrated Disney parks all over the globe.

Since its release in 1993, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a perennial Halloween classic, splitting the difference between “heartwarming family film” and “deeply disturbing near-horror movie.” Are you team Halloween? Or are you team Christmas movie?

No element of the Henry Selick-directed movie (though producer Tim Burton usually gets the credit) is more iconic than Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who spends the movie wanting something more than just scares.

Many factors might have gone into Nightmare Before Christmas’ slowly growing — and non-stop — popularity. As we noted in the past, “it might have been Tim Burton’s rise to stardom, the popularity of movies like Beetlejuice, Corpse Bride, and other strange and unusual films, or simply the growing interests of an evolving audience. Whatever the reason, the film has become one of Disney’s most popular properties, and its influence continues to be felt in and out of Disney property.”

At the moment, fans of the film can meet both Jack and Sally at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom. If that wasn’t enough, over at Disneyland Resort, fans can enjoy Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure. As one can tell by the name of the event, it celebrates all things Nightmare Before Christmas. Although you cannot meet Jack and Sally at the event (that can actually be done during the day at Disneyland Park) they can see the lovebirds in the Frightfully Fun parade, along with Oogie Boogie, Zero, they Mayor, and more. Oogie Boogie is also one of the villains in the treat trails, so you can get up close and personal with him.

The IP also takes over the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland to turn it into Haunted Mansion Holiday, which lasts from Halloween through to Christmas ans has become an iconic aspect of the season, and a fan-favorite attraction.

Jack Skellington has become such a popular icon that Home Depot even sells a 13-foot tall version of the Pumpkin King that fans can put in their front lawn for the Halloween and Christmas season.

The film has inspired video games, a sequel novelization featuring Sally as the Pumpkin Queen, and even rumors of a sequel short film in development for Disney+. There’s also the argument that the film’s success was what brought Burton back into the Disney fold, giving fans films like Frankenweenie, Alice in Wonderland, and Dumbo. Thanks to it’s cult status, character’s like Jack, Sally, and even that no-account Oogie Boogie have become household names around Halloween as the film has become a time-honored tradition for many Disney fans.

Most recently, we announced that The Nightmare Before Christmas is coming back to theaters as well, as the film celebrates its 30th anniversary. On top of the new 4K edition released last month, the film returns to theaters just in time for Halloween. Soon fans of the film will be able to see Jack (Chris Sarandon – Speaking/Danny Elfman – Singing), Sally (Catherine O’Hara), Zero (Frank Welker), Oogie Boogie (Ken Page), Lock (Paul Reubens), Shock (Catherine O’Hara), and Barrel (Danny Elfman) back on the big screen.

Sadly, it has just been announced that in the wake of all of this Nightmare Before Christmas celebration, tragedy has struck.

Pete Kozachik, who was the visual effects supervisor for The Nightmare Before Christmas, has reportedly passed away at the age of 72. It seems that Pete died on September 12. This was after suffering “complications related to aphasia”. Kozachik actually earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on Nightmare Before Christmas and was sought out by Tim Burton and Nightmare director Henry Sellick. He worked on other films with Burton, including Corpse Bride.

As The Hollywood Reporter noted, “Pete Kozachik, the Oscar-nominated visual effects artist who contributed his stop-motion expertise to such films as The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Corpse Bride and Coraline, has died.”

Kozachik also operated a stop-motion camera on Ghostbusters II (1989) and served as director of miniature photography on Starship Troopers (1997) and as a visual effects cameraman on Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002).

We wish Pete’s family, friends, and loved ones our condolences at this time.