More than thirty years after its release, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) remains one of Disney’s biggest cult hits — a film that still fuels annual debates about whether it’s a Halloween movie, a Christmas movie, or something in between. It also spawned a multimedia franchise, with perhaps more merchandise than most films combined!
What it hasn’t inspired is a sequel on the big screen (or on the small screen).
Despite continued fan speculation, there’s been no sign that Disney or co-producer Tim Burton intend to return to Jack Skellington’s story in another feature. Burton has been pretty open about not wanting a sequel to happen, although director Henry Selick and Jack Skellington voice actor Chris Sarandon have each said they’d be open to returning.
Instead, the world of Halloween Town has grown through other formats. Print has become the most active space for new stories, including Shea Ernshaw’s New York Times best-selling YA novel “Long Live The Pumpkin Queen”, which pushed Sally into the spotlight and was later adapted as a comic. Projects like that have helped keep the franchise alive without altering the original film’s legacy.
Now, Dynamite Entertainment is adding another branch to that expansion with “Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Shiver of Christmas Town”, an upcoming comic book miniseries announced at New York Comic-Con earlier this year.
The series brings in writer Torunn Grønbekk (“Thor”, “Venom”) and artists Edu Menna (“Army of Darkness”), Adriano Augusto, and Taylor Esposito to tell a story that seemingly shifts attention away from Jack Skellington and to the characters who usually orbit him.
Related: Fan-Favorite Disney Character Officially Debuts New Look, Fans Queue for Access
Flickering Myth recently shared the first preview of issue #1, offering cover art, early prose, and interior panels. What stands out immediately is the complete absence of Jack Skellington. Neither the official synopsis, nor the preview pages, nor the early artwork place him anywhere in the comic. Instead, the story centers on Sally, Dr. Finkelstein, and the always-mischievous Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Here’s the blurb from Dynamite:
“The enigmatic Dr. Finkelstein, Sally’s creator, has another creation in the works. When he debuts an unusual, yet unexpectedly adorable creature as a new pet, Sally is tasked with taking care of it. Only for the three resident trick-or-treaters of Halloween Town to have it in tow as they embark on their journey to Christmas Town.”
“Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Shiver of Christmas Town” #1 arrives January 21, 2026.
Are you excited about this new Nightmare Before Christmas sequel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
