“Nightmare Before Christmas”: Henry Selick says it’s “a little unfair” for Tim Burton to get the credit

Admit it: You didn’t know Tim Burton directed ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. It’s not your fault: the name of the real director, Henry Selick, was overshadowed when shortly before the film’s release they changed the title to “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas” in English. It was Burton’s story, but it was Selick who brought it to life in two years of work. He had been silent about it so far, but in a new interview with AV Club, Selick states that it was he and his team who made the film. “That’s a little unfair, because the movie wasn’t titled like that until three weeks before the premiere. And I would have liked it, but that wasn’t what I signed up for.”.

“Tim was in Los Angeles to make two feature films while I was directing that movie”Selick says in the middle. Despite this, he does not deny it “Tim is a genius, or he certainly was in his most creative years”. The manager admits: “I always thought his story was perfect and he drew the main characters. But in reality it was me and my team of people who brought it to life.”.

Recall that Henry Selick directed Nightmare Before Christmas and not Tim Burton. All Tim Burton did was write the poem on which the film was based and create the initial sketch of Jack and Zero. Henry Selick deserves a lot more credit. He is also from Jersey.

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“Just to remind you that Henry Selick directed The Nightmare Before Christmas and not Tim Burton. All Tim Burton did was write the poem on which the film was based and create the initial sketch for Jack and Zero. Henry Selick deserves much more. ” Besides, he’s from New Jersey. “

It is normal that, in a film of this category, everyone wants their role in it to be recognized. Impossible to separate the wonderful characters created by Burton from the impeccable direction of Selick or the iconic soundtrack composed by Danny Elfman, as they are all elements that have made ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ a classic of the fall and winter season.. Selick takes it with humor: “Now, sure, if you ask Danny Elfman, well, then in his movie”, Series. He says it when they finished the movie “It was really fun because he walked up to me and shook my hand. ‘Henry, you did a great job illustrating my songs!’ And he meant it. And I loved it! I loved it. “even though he acknowledges he wants the film to start making a name for itself in the industry: “for people to say, ‘Oh, that kid Henry does stuff'”.

Your name in the industry

Selick humbly accepts his anonymity behind one of the great animation classics, which It did not take away from him the desire to collaborate with other great figures. “I really like collaborating very, very much”, it is stated. His long-awaited popularity came in 2009 with ‘Los mundos de Coraline’, although he points out that “It does not hurt” let the story be “Based on an excellent book by Neil Gaiman“. In his most recent film, ‘Wendell and Wild’, Selick writes side by side with director and screenwriter Jordan Peele, in a story that plays with the limits of the underworld and the earth and which is now available on Netflix.. Let’s hope this time people will remember that he directed it himself.