Checked October 22, 2026, against Disney’s official film page, D23 and Focus Features.
Henry Selick directed The Nightmare Before Christmas (D23). Tim Burton’s name is in Disney’s official title, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, but the director credit belongs to Selick.
| Role | Credited |
|---|---|
| Director | Henry Selick |
| Concept and production | Tim Burton |
| Written By (grouped on Disney’s page) | Tim Burton, Michael McDowell, Caroline Thompson |
| Jack’s speaking voice | Chris Sarandon |
| Jack’s singing voice, songs and score | Danny Elfman |
Credits from Disney, D23 and Disney Legends.
Where does Tim Burton fit in the credits?
Burton conceived and produced the film, while Selick directed it, as The Walt Disney Company explains. That gives Burton a concrete creative and production role without turning his name in the title into a directing credit.
Disney’s official page lists Burton, McDowell and Thompson together under Written By. A grouped field doesn’t say how the writing was divided, so don’t read it as equal shares, and don’t read the name in the title as a directing credit.
Who voices Jack Skellington?
Two people. Chris Sarandon is Jack’s speaking voice, and Danny Elfman is his singing voice (D23). Elfman also wrote the songs and the score (Disney Legends).
So the right name depends on the moment you’re thinking of: a line of dialogue is Sarandon, a song is Elfman.
Is it a Halloween or a Christmas movie?
The premise straddles both: Jack, Halloween Town’s Pumpkin King, wants Christmas (Disney). For our viewing plan, either season works. One idea is to make it the bridge between the two holidays, with Halloween leftovers and the first winter treats on the same table.
How long is it?
D23 lists the running time as 76 minutes. By our arithmetic, pressing play at 8 p.m. ends around 9:16 p.m. without pauses; allow 10 minutes for interruptions and plan on about 9:26. That’s short enough to leave room for a second film.
Same director: Coraline
Selick also directed Coraline, LAIKA’s first feature (Focus Features). That makes the two a natural director double bill, not two parts of one story or one studio’s series.
