The Nightmare Before Christmas

Story

Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, has grown tired and weary of his Halloween routine. Wandering through the forest, Jack stumbles down through a portal that leads him to Christmas Town. Delighted by all of the colours and cheer, Jack decides to take over Christmas this year...

Why we chose it

The Nightmare Before Christmas was chosen by The Story Museum’s teenage consultants who loved the film so much that they felt it should be introduced to the next generation.

Where it came from

Originally a poem, written by Tim Burton in 1982, the story is a parody of Clement Clarke Moore’s poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (or The Night Before Christmas) from 1823. Burton was inspired by the mingling of Halloween and Christmas decorations in shops during the Autumn. He was also influenced by holiday TV specials, including Dr Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966).

Where it went next

The Nightmare Before Christmas won multiple awards and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, a first for an animated film. Various card, board, and video games have been released based on the film, including a sequel story game, Oogie’s Revenge (2004), and a prequel, The Pumpkin King (2005).

Associated stories

Other stories by Tim Burton include Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Corpse Bride (2005). Henry Selick directed the film Coraline (2009) based on the book by Neil Gaiman, and the stop motion figurine of Jack Skellington was reused in his 1996 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach (1996).