Who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Henry Selick directed The Nightmare Before Christmas. The 1993 stop-motion musical follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, after he discovers Christmas Town and tries to take over Christmas.

The story and characters were conceived by Tim Burton, who produced the film and wrote the original poem and story treatment. This connection often leads people to identify Burton as the director, but Selick directed the animation and production itself. The screenplay was written by Caroline Thompson.

Chris Sarandon provided Jack’s speaking voice, while Danny Elfman supplied Jack’s singing voice and composed the music. Catherine O’Hara voiced Sally, and William Hickey voiced Dr. Finkelstein. The film was produced by Touchstone Pictures, a Disney label used for material considered darker than typical Disney animation.

The movie was made with stop-motion puppets and photographed frame by frame. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects, making it the first stop-motion animated film nominated in that category. Its distinctive Halloween-meets-Christmas design helped it become a seasonal cult favorite.