One of Disney’s most popular films is The Nightmare Before Christmas, and now, despite what Tim Burton thinks, Disney is reimagining the intellectual property into something new.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton. Released in 1993, the film has become a cult classic and a beloved holiday favorite.
The story revolves around Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who becomes bored with the same routine of scaring people every year. Stumbling upon Christmas Town, Jack becomes enchanted with the idea of Christmas and decides to take over the holiday. He kidnaps Santa Claus and tries to bring Christmas cheer to Halloween Town, but his well-intentioned efforts lead to chaos.

Below, is a list of our spooky yet lovable characters that have filled our screens during Halloween and Christmas for decades:
- Jack Skellington (Voiced by Chris Sarandon): The main protagonist, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.
- Sally (Voiced by Catherine O’Hara): A ragdoll created by Dr. Finkelstein who has a crush on Jack.
- Oogie Boogie (Voiced by Ken Page): The main antagonist, a boogeyman-like character who revels in causing mischief.
- Dr. Finkelstein (Voiced by William Hickey): The creator of Sally, a mad scientist.
- Santa Claus (Voiced by Edward Ivory): The jolly gift-giver who is kidnapped by Jack.
While The Nightmare Before Christmas didn’t receive Academy Award nominations in major categories, it did receive critical acclaim and has garnered a devoted fan base over the years. The film received nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song (“This Is Halloween”) at the 1994 Academy Awards. It won the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
The film’s legacy has grown, and its impact on pop culture is evident through its continued popularity, annual screenings, and widespread merchandise. The unique combination of Tim Burton’s vision, Henry Selick’s direction, and Danny Elfman’s memorable music has made The Nightmare Before Christmas a timeless and iconic animated film.

Tim Burton is a renowned American filmmaker, director, producer, artist, and writer celebrated for his distinctive and eccentric cinematic style. Early in his career, Burton worked as an animator for Disney, contributing to other projects like The Fox and the Hound (1981) and Tron (1982). However, feeling creatively constrained within the Disney framework, Burton was ultimately let go, prompting him to pursue more personal and unconventional projects.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) marked Burton’s breakthrough as a director, showcasing his quirky sensibilities. He continued to solidify his reputation with iconic films such as Beetlejuice (1988), and he is currently wrapping Beetlejuice 2, Batman (1989), and Edward Scissorhands (1990). Batman became a massive box office success, while Edward Scissorhands initiated Burton’s frequent collaboration with actor Johnny Depp.
Burton’s filmography boasts diverse and imaginative projects, including Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Big Fish (2003), Corpse Bride (2005), and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). His films consistently feature themes of outsiders, misunderstood characters, and visually stunning, otherworldly landscapes.

While not always conforming to traditional norms, Burton’s work resonates with both audiences and critics, earning him awards and nominations. Notable accolades include Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature for Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie.
In recent collaborations with Disney, Burton directed the live-action adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (2010), a box office success. He also directed Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016), based on the eponymous novel, and served as an executive producer for the live-action Dumbo (2019).
That being said, Burton has recently spoken out against Disney.
As we have shared, “Tim Burton won’t work for DC or Marvel simply because of the way they use culture unethically. According to him, large studios like Disney or Warner Bros. take moments of cinema or art and use them in a way that seems dishonorable, like how they took a piece of his 90s Superman movie and shoehorned it into The Flash for the sake of a cameo.”

Burton stated, “Even though you’re a slave of Disney or Warner Brothers, they can do whatever they want. So in my latter years of life, I’m in quiet revolt against all this.” Tim has found more freedom working outside of Disney.
During an interview, Tim Burton said, “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.” Cue the grumpy old prospector voice: “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 … Where’s my shotgun?”

Burton continued, “To me, the movie is very important,” Burton said. “I’ve done sequels, I’ve done other things, I’ve done reboots, I’ve done all that s–t, 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.”
While Burton does not want to see his characters reimagined, Disney has licensed the characters over and over. Recently, we saw Jack’s storyline continue through Fortnite, as the video game made “Sandy Claws” a playable character. Now, Disney Dreamlight will also star Skellington.
Nintendo Life announced:
“What’s this!? Lots of stuff is happening in Disney Dreamlight Valley tomorrow, 5th December 2023. The cosy Disney-themed life sim from Gameloft is leaving Early Access tomorrow and is also getting its first paid expansion — A Rift in Time.
That’s not all, though. A brand new update titled The Pumpkin King Returns is also coming tomorrow, and the developer has shared the patch notes ahead of its drop.
While the end of Early Access has been dominated by news that Disney Dreamlight Valley will no longer be going free-to-play, Gameloft has confirmed it will still be bringing plenty of free updates to the game, including this The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed one.”
Unlike Fortnite, Disney Dreamlight typically allows players to talk to the Disney characters in the game, which means that we will see Jack speak yet again. While Disney is not necessarily making a sequel to the film, they are certainly doing everything up until that point.
As shared by Disney, “Disney Dreamlight Valley is a hybrid between a life-sim and an adventure game rich with quests, exploration, and engaging activities featuring Disney and Pixar friends, both old and new.

Once an idyllic land, Dreamlight Valley was a place where Disney and Pixar characters lived in harmony — until the Forgetting. Night Thorns grew across the land and severed the wonderful memories tied to this magical place. With nowhere else to go, the hopeless inhabitants of Dreamlight Valley retreated behind locked doors in the Dream Castle.
Now it’s up to you to discover the stories of this world and bring the magic back to Dreamlight Valley!”
Do you think that Disney is going against Tim Burton’s wishes?