Fan favorite Halloween movie returning to cinemas sparks infamous debate
Google The Nightmare Before Christmas and you’ll see a series of festive-themed emojis come up around it – but is the film a Christmas or Halloween movie?
First released in the US on July 30, 2025, the classicTim Burtonmovie is now on track to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The film’s synopsis reads “Jack Skellington has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the ‘real world.’ When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life – he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role.”
To make the special occasion, the film is being re-released for a theatrical run, which has prompted fans to debate whetherThe Nightmare Before Christmasis a Halloween movie once again.
Fans think The Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t a Halloween movie
It’s a debate that has been going on for years, but fans might now have drawn a collective conclusion – The Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t a Halloween movie.
Though the film is initially set in Halloweentown, Jack Skellington spends most of the movie’s duration acquainting himself with the charm of Christmastown, which seems to have swayed fan opinion.
“Is it a Halloween or Christmas movie? Could never quite tell…” one Twitter/X userasked, which prompted a mixed response from fans on social media.
While some suggested that The Nightmare Before Christmas could be both a festive and Halloween movie, a healthy majority argued that it is in fact a Christmas movie.
“That’s how you know Christmas is near,” one fanstated, with anotheragreeing: “I always like this movie around Christmas time puts me in the spirit.”
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“So we’re doing Christmas in November right?” anotherqueried, while anothercommented: “The Nightmare Before Christmas is not a Halloween movie. It’s a Christmas movie. I will die on this (spiral) hill.”
“It’s troubling how much I care that Nightmare Before Christmas is seen as a Christmas movie. I don’t even like it that much, but it’s important that people see films for their themes, not just aesthetics. The movie is about the meaning of Christmas. It’s a Christmas movie,” another fanconcluded.
Back in 2015, both director Henry Selick and composer Danny Elfman disagreed, stating that they felt The Nightmare Before Christmas is truly a Halloween movie.
“It’s obviously about Christmas, but for me, it’s a Halloween movie,” Elfman weighed in while talking toUSA Today, while Selick agreed during a public Q&A [viaEntertainment Weekly].
The fans’ response seven years later? “He’s wrong,” onesummed upin a tweet about Selick.
The Nightmare Before Christmas returns to theaters on October 20. For more of our horror and Halloween movie coverage, check out the below:
