Iconic 30-Year-Old Halloween Classic Tops Saw X & The Nun 2 at the Box Office

Summary

This weekend, The Nightmare Before Christmas, a 1993 stop-motion animated musical, has outperformed some recent horror movies at the box office, surpassing the earnings of Saw X and The Nun II.

Over its 30th-anniversary re-release weekend, The Nightmare Before Christmas grossed $4.1 million domestically, securing the 5th position at the box office. Despite its age, the film maintains its ability to captivate audiences, surpassing newer horror films in performance.

The Nightmare Before Christmas has outperformed multiple new horror films in terms of box office revenue. This 1993 movie, directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton, is a stop-motion animated musical set in Halloween Town. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a living skeleton who stumbles upon Christmas and decides to capture Santa Claus and take control of the holiday. Alongside his love interest Sally, a rag doll, Jack enlists the help of the town's eerie residents. According to Deadline, The Nightmare Before Christmas has claimed the fifth spot at the domestic box office for the weekend. Despite the presence of popular new releases, such as Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Exorcist: Believer, and Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, the 30th-anniversary re-release of Nightmare Before Christmas generated $4.1 million in revenue. This surpassed the earnings of contemporary horror films like Saw X ($3.58 million) and The Nun II ($887,000).

The Nightmare Before Christmas Has a Huge Legacy Despite No Sequel

The enduring popularity of this movie is evident in its box office gross for this re-release, which coincides with Disney's centennial celebration. Despite the absence of a Nightmare Before Christmas sequel, the film's lasting legacy can be attributed to numerous factors.

One of the main reasons is that Nightmare Before Christmas has become an integral part of the Disney brand, even without a proper movie sequel. The film has been immortalized through various forms of merchandise, including toys, comic books, video games, and a live concert featuring Danny Elfman's original music. Halloween Town and its characters have also made appearances in the popular Kingdom Hearts video game franchise, which combines elements from Final Fantasy games and Disney animated movies.

The characters from Nightmare Before Christmas, such as Jack and Sally, have become iconic figures of Halloween, appearing on a wide range of merchandise and costumes. Furthermore, the spirit of the movie lives on through the works of Henry Selick, who has continued to create stop-motion films that blend family-friendly themes with eerie elements, such as Coraline and Wendell & Wild. While Selick has expressed interest in a possible prequel, a sequel has not yet materialized. However, events like this weekend demonstrate that the movie remains beloved by the general public without any additional assistance.

Source: Deadline