The Nightmare Before Christmas
Read on for some fun facts on a holiday classic.
1. It wasn't directed by Tim Burton
It was directed by Henry Selick in his feature directorial debut. “It wasn’t called Tim Burton’s Nightmare until three weeks before the film came out,” Selick said. “And I would have been fine with that, if that’s what I signed up for.”
Click here for more on why Selick thinks calling it "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" is an “unfair” title: https://consequence.net/2022/11/henry-selick-tim-burton-unfair-nightmare-before-christmas/.
2. It wasn't written by Tim Burton
The screenplay by was by Caroline Thompson and adapted by Michael McDowell. "Inside the tumultuous making of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas': Screaming, smashing and a 'snorted salary'."
3. It was produced by Burton based on his poem
Burton wrote a three-page poem titled "The Nightmare Before Christmas", drawing inspiration from television specials of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" and the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas".
4. Burton originally wanted Nightmare to be a television series, not a movie
Burton intended to adapt the poem into a television special with the narration spoken by his favorite actor, Vincent Price. After the success of Burton's short film "Vincent" in 1982, Disney started to consider developing "The Nightmare Before Christmas" as either a short film or 30-minute holiday television special. However, the project's development eventually stalled, as its tone seemed "too weird" to the company.
5. Jack Skellington has two voice actors
Chris Sarandon provides the speaking voice for the skeleton while composer Danny Elfman provides the singing voice. Elfman also plays Barrel and the Clown with the Tear-Away Face.
6. Elfman still performs the character to this day
Whether he performs the full show or just a song at his concerts, Elfman still provides opportunities to see "Nightmare" live. I for one loved his set at Coachella (2022)! Special guests have included Billie Eilish and Phoebe Bridgers as Sally. This October, Halsey will be stepping into the role at the Hollywood Bowl!
7. Elfman never read the script, he wrote the entire score and songs based on stories Burton told him
Elfman actually prefers not to work from script, story or concept, but ten songs needed to be written in advance of filmmaking.
8. Shooting began before the script was finished
"Stop-motion demands a great deal of time, so when Danny Elfman had mastered most of the film's songs, Selick plus a team of 13 specially trained animators and an army of prop makers, set builders, and camera operators got to work without a final screenplay." (Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60723/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-nightmare-christmas)
9. Sir. Patrick Stewart provided the prologue narration for the film's soundtrack
"Early on, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' planned to rely heavily on its poetic inspiration...Patrick Stewart was called in to read poetry that was intended for the film's opening and closing narration. The lengthy monologues were eventually pared down to a few lines, and those were reassigned to the film's Santa, Edward Ivory. However, Stewart's version can be found in full on the film's soundtrack." (Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60723/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-nightmare-christmas)
So, what I'm curious to know...do you think "Nightmare" is a Halloween movie or Christmas movie? Discuss!