![]() “Nightmare” was masterminded by Henry Selick and Tim Burton, who got their start as animators at Disney in the 1980s. ![]() The creepy, undead crew that surrounds Jack Skellington and the kind-hearted Sally in "The Nightmare Before Christmas" concerned Disney executives, who feared the film would frighten children. Here’s how a small film about a bunch of undead dreamers enchanted viewers - and became an essential offering among Disney’s holiday entertainment. And no longer are Jack Skellington and his motley crew of undead dreamers relegated to Hot Topics and novelty shops - now, “Nightmare” characters are sold as stuffed animals and figurines alongside Ariel and Mickey Mouse.ĭisney is commemorating the deliciously bizarre film’s 30th anniversary with a theatrical rerelease. Thirty years later, Disney has wholeheartedly embraced “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The company has incorporated the film’s characters into its Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland in California. Audience support led to multiple rereleases, elevating the film from a cult classic to a must-watch movie during both Halloween and Christmas. But many viewers who found the film over the years, usually on home video, appreciated its impressive puppets, offbeat rhythm and many seasonal earworms. The film made a modest box office dent upon release. Worried the film would frighten young viewers used to “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” Disney released the film under its Touchstone Pictures banner, reserved for titles with more mature themes than standard Disney fare (a few years earlier, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” got the same treatment). In 1993, though, a Halloween-Christmas film hybrid starring a slightly demented but well-meaning skeleton in a bat bowtie who nearly gets Santa killed was no easy sell. It’s one of the company’s most unique artistic achievements and a proven moneymaker, even 30 years on. You can find its spindly hero Jack Skellington across Disneyland during Halloween and Christmastime, and his skeletal smile adorns everything from pillowcases to backpacks to Build-a-Bear stuffed creatures. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is, today, a proud Disney property.
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