As he gears up for his stop-motion return, director Henry Selick addresses whether The Nightmare Before Christmas 2 or Coraline 2 could happen. The former film acted as Selick's feature directorial debut, in which he partnered up with writer/producer Tim Burton to bring the holiday worlds of "Halloween Town" and "Christmas Town" and iconic skeletal character Jack Skellington to life. While many confuse the 1993 movie as being helmed by Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a cult classic in the years since its release, expanding to Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride during with a holiday season makeover and becoming the first animated film to garner an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects.
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Coraline, on the other hand, was solely written and directed by Selick and was an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's 2002 dark fantasy novella of the same name. The film centered on Dakota Fanning's titular character as she struggles to adjust to her new Oregon home, only to find her life thrown for a loop when she discovers a doorway to a seemingly idyllic parallel universe holding a sinister secret. Much like The Nightmare Before Christmas before it, Coraline scored widespread critical acclaim, earned both an Oscars and Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature and has amassed a cult following of those eager to see a sequel, though they may want to hold their breaths on that.
While speaking exclusively with Screen Rant during a visit to the Wendell & Wild set, Henry Selick shared his thoughts on whether The Nightmare Before Christmas 2 and Coraline 2 could happen. The director noted audiences' interest in both films getting a sequel, though sounded doubtful about their chances, believing that only a "good story" can make them happen. See what Selick shared below:
People have always wanted a sequel for Nightmare and Coraline. If there’s a good story, it might be worth doing. But too frequently, sequels are just a remake of the first film with some mild changes.
Selick's comments on the chances of a potential Nightmare Before Christmas 2 and Coraline 2 are sure to come as disappointing news for those who have been eager to see both dark fantasy worlds expanded upon. It also lines up with Neil Gaiman's own recent discussions on a possible Coraline sequel, in which he shut down rumors of the film coming out in November and saying he would only make one happen if he could figure out a good enough story to build on his original novella. Given the original Coraline ended on a fairly definitive note with the titular heroine having defeated the Beldam and hidden away the key to the other realm, and Gaiman's busy schedule with Netflix's The Sandman and Prime Video's Good Omens, it's understandable that the author has yet to crack the code on how best to bring Coraline Jones back for another adventure.
Though Selick doesn't seem confident about a possible The Nightmare Before Christmas 2 or Coraline 2, the door isn't entirely closed for one of the two to see the light of day. Four-time Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman indicated that a Nightmare Before Christmas sequel was unlikely, but a book was released putting Sally as the main protagonist, therein creating a possible story for a sequel. In the meantime, audiences can revisit the original Nightmare Before Christmas streaming on Disney+ and Coraline on Tubi now.