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15 Best Anime From the Past 5 Years
25. Danny Elfman did more than writing the songs
Since Elfman was writing songs for Jack Skellington, he also became the singing voice of the iconic character. Once the songs were recorded, Chris Sarandon was chosen to voice dialogues, specifically because his tone closely matched Danny Elfman’s singing voice. | © Disney
24. Some big names were considered for the narration
The opening narration of The Nightmare Before Christmas almost featured some legendary voices like James Earl Jones and Vincent Price. However, Ed Ivory, who also gave his voice to Santa Claus, stepped into the role in the end. | © Disney
23. 227 real puppets were used to create the film
Using stop-motion animation wasn't just time-consuming. A whopping 227 puppets were created to use in the film. From Jack’s 400 different heads to countless expressions for other characters, the attention to detail was nothing short of extraordinary. | © Disney
22. Tim Burton is not director of this movie
While Tim Burton’s name is synonymous with The Nightmare Before Christmas, even appearing in the title, he wasn’t the film’s director. Burton produced the movie and crafted the story, while Henry Selick took on the role of director, bringing the spooky tale to life. | © Disney
21. Jack Skellington was voiced by two different individuals
The iconic voice of Jack Skellington was actually brought to life by two people! Danny Elfman, the film composer, provided Jack’s singing voice, while Chris Sarandon handled his speaking lines. | © Disney
20. Disney worried the movie won't be appropriate for brand
Although The Nightmare Before Christmas was nominated for an Academy Award, it wasn’t originally released as a Disney movie. Fearing it might be too scary for kids, the company released it under their Touchstone Pictures label, reserved for more "adult" projects. | © Disney
19. The Nightmare Before Christmas was nominated for Academy Award
The Nightmare Before Christmas made history as the first animated film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Even though it lost to groundbreaking Jurassic Park, this nomination confirms the movie is a visual masterpiece. | © Disney
18. Sequel discussions have been ongoing since its release
Ever since its release, fans have hoped for a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas. Despite speculations and anticipation, Tim Burton made it clear that Jack and his crew won't be returning for a follow-up anytime soon. | © Disney
17. The concept for The Nightmare Before Christmas was inspired by holiday decorations
While it's no secret the movie is based on Tim Burton's poem of the same name, its initial inspiration came from holiday decorations. Growing up in California, Tim Burton noticed that Halloween and Christmas were popping up side by side in the stores, which planted the seed for his iconic story. | © Disney
16. Patrick Stewart was removed from the movie
Patrick Stewart was originally set to narrate the opening and closing monologues for The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, when the monologues were shortened, the role was given to Edward Ivory instead. | © Disney
15. Jack had more than two heads
Jack Skellington had more than just one head on his shoulders, he had 400 of them. Each one was crafted to capture his wide range of expressions, proving that stop-motion animation truly takes a lot of headwork. | © Disney
14. The movie has 110,000 frames in total
The Nightmare Before Christmas brought the magical world to life through the painstaking art of stop-motion animation, capturing 24 frames per second. This process resulted in a jaw-dropping 110,000 individual frames proving the dedication to perfection. | © Disney
13. Jack Skellington has appeared in various video games
Jack Skellington has appeared in various popular video games like the Kingdom Hearts series and even Fortnite. His spooky charm transcends film, proving he’s a skeleton for all seasons. | © Epic Games
12. Production spanned over three years because of the stop-motion process
Production for The Nightmare Before Christmas has spanned over three years because of the painstaking stop-motion process. The effort paid off, as the stunning animation continued to captivate audiences today. | © Disney
11. There is a comic dedicated to The Nightmare Before Christmas
While there's no sequel for The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton granted Tokyopop permission to make a comic spin-off of the film. It follows Zero’s adventures and brings back beloved characters for more holiday fun. | © Disney
10. Jack was meant to be the reverse Grinch
Tim Burton created Jack Skellington as the complete opposite of Grinch. Instead of stealing Christmas, Jack loved it so much that he wanted to take over and make it his own. | © Disney
9. Jack's signature pinstripe suit was actually an accident
Jack Skellington’s iconic suit wasn’t planned, it was a happy accident. Director Henry Selick added the stripes to prevent the black suit from vanishing into the shadowy backdrop of the movie. | © Disney
8. Tim Burton hated the movie's ending
Tim Burton hated the movie's ending so much that he literally kicked a hole in the wall out of frustration. The team turned this iconic moment into art, they cut out the hole and framed it. | © Disney
7. There are interesting Easter Eggs in the movie
While released through Touchstone Pictures to sidestep an awkward link with Disney, The Nightmare Before Christmas is packed with clever Easter eggs from the Disney universe. For example, kids are wearing Mickey and Donald pajamas on Christmas morning. | © Disney
6. The original poem featured only three characters
The original poem for The Nightmare Before Christmas had a much smaller cast, featuring only three characters, such as Jack Skellington, Zero, and Santa Claus. It’s amazing how this skeleton crew grew into the vibrant world we know today! | © Disney
5. The movie was initially conceived as a television special
The Nightmare Before Christmas was almost a holiday TV special, as the original story was inspired by classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Disney initially considered it for a short film or a 30-minute special but dismissed it as too weird and even fired Burton in 1984. | © Disney
4. Songs for The Nightmare Before Christmas were written before script
Danny Elfman has composed unforgettable songs for The Nightmare Before Christmas before a script even saw the light of day. He brought the story to life through music, working only from Tim Burton's loose descriptions of the plot. | © Disney
3. Designing Oogie Boogie was the biggest challenge for the creators
Designing Oogie Boogie was one of the toughest challenges of the entire film. From his re-sculpted design to the intricate animation of his bug-filled reveal, some animators joked it took off some years of their lives. | © Disney
2. Tim Burton didn't want the film to have a sequel
Tim Burton, who owns part of The Nightmare Before Christmas rights, is one of the main protectors of the movie's purity. He has been staunchly against creating a sequel, which is why the story has never been continued. | © Disney
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a HALLOWEEN movie
While many argue whether The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween or Christmas movie, director Henry Selick confirmed it's a Halloween film. However, that doesn't stop us from enjoying its spooky cheer all year round, no matter the season. | © Disney
