According to this wild, long-standing theory, Tim Burton’sThe Nightmare Before Christmasis actually secretly connected toCorpse Bride.The Nightmare Before Christmasfollows the disillusioned King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, as he discovers Christmas and decides to take over the holiday. Released in 1993, the filmreceived critical and commercial success, and has become a cult classic film due to its innovation in the art of stop-motion. Although the film is actually directed by Henry Selick (in his directorial debut),The Nightmare Before Christmasis widely considered aTim Burton movieas he originally conceived the idea.
Tim Burton often produces gothic animated movies and his strange visual flair has created some of the most iconic films of all time - includingThe Nightmare Before Christmas.Corpse Brideis another example. 2005’sCorpse Brideis another stop-motion musical Tim Burton movie which follows the story of a Victorian man called Victor, who accidentally marries an undead bridewhile rehearsing his wedding vows.Corpse Bride’scharacters seemingly give light to an interestingTim Burton movie theory, as there may be a connection toThe Nightmare Before Christmas.
Could Jack Skellington Be Corpse Bride’s Victor?
Tim Burton’s Characters Have Similarities
There are a few ways in which Tim Burton’s moviesare allegedly connected, and one of which is thatThe Nightmare Before Christmas’Jack Skellington andCorpse Bride’sVictor are the same character. Firstly,Jack and Victor’s character designs are very similar; they both have slim, elongated figures with wide eyes and a small nose, as well as a penchant for suits. While this character design could be attributed to Tim Burton’s style, as there are many other characters that look this way, there’s further evidence seen in Jack and Victor’s personalities, especially as they are both musically inclined.
While Victor is quite a shy character, he seems to have certain morals that allow him to be brave at times. He also appears to have some musical talent, as seen when he plays the piano for Emily. By contrast, Jack is the extroverted leader of Halloween Town and is very steadfast in his courage. However, Jack is also musically inclined, just like Victor. Considering Victor would need to become more confident to be like Jack, and due to the time periods of each movie,it could therefore be theorized that Jack Skellington is Victor reincarnated after death.
WhileThe Nightmare Before Christmasdoesn’t tell us the time period it is set in, there are clues, and the Christmas decorations seem to indicate the movie is set after the 1960s.
WhileThe Nightmare Before Christmasdoesn’t tell us the time period it is set in, there are clues, and the Christmas decorations seem to indicate the movie is set after the 1960s. Meanwhile,Corpse Brideis set in the Victorian era, between 1837 and 1901. Therefore, as Jack’s history is unknown, his connection toTim Burton’s other stop-motion movieCorpse Brideis entirely possible, with Victor becoming Jack. In fact,their appearances, drive to do the right thing, and timelines seem to match up even more so than a suggestedFrankenweenieconnection. However, there’s still the issue of the dog.
Are Sparky, Zero & Scraps All The Same Dog?
Frankenweenie, Nightmare Before Christmas & Corpse Bride Are Connected
It has been suggested that, asTim Burton’s animated movies repeat its dead dogtrope, Sparky, Zero, and Scraps are all the same dog. Sparky is the bull terrier fromFrankenweenie. In the movie, Victor (who shares a name and appearance withCorpse Bride’scharacter) reanimates his dog after its death, making him into an unsightly undead creature.Zero refers to Jack’s ghost dog inThe Nightmare Before Christmas, indicated to be a possible dachshund or basset hound, and Scraps is the possible hound skeleton dog who Victor is reunited with when he ventures with Emily toCorpse Bride’s afterlife.
I had this strong connection with a mutt we had named Pepe, and it was a good connection. Like your first love. It was very powerful. The dog was not meant to live very long because of a disease he had, but he ended up living quite a long time. So you have this strong connection, and then you think: ‘Well, how long is this going to last?’ You don’t really understand those concepts of death at the time.
There is a theory that, as all three dogs have similar-looking owners, they are the same dog at different stages of life, spawning a possible connection between Tim Burton’sFrankenweenie,Corpse Bride, andThe Nightmare Before Christmas. Tim Burton addressed this dead dog trend in an interview withReuters, saying that “I had this strong connection with a mutt we had named Pepe,” who unfortunately passed away, which inspired his exploration of the topic. However, while all the dogs are somewhat similar in appearance and their owners, this Tim Burton movie connection theory does have some major problems.
The Tim Burton Theory Is Fun, But Has Clear Problems
The Theory Doesn’t Work Due To Timelines
The Tim Burton theory is fun, but it does have clear problems. While it’s not hard to imagine that Victor could gain a more extroverted personality and ease around the undead following the movie’s events, he would never deliver the same dramatic flair as Jack inThe Nightmare Before Christmas. Furthermore, there is no hint of other holiday worlds inCorpse Bride, only the Land of the Dead, soalthough Victor will likely become a part of this afterlife when he dies, it still doesn’t explain how or why he would become a skeletonfigure like Jack.
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In terms of the dogs, their physical similarities are obvious, butFrankenweenie’sSparky is actually a different dog breedto Zero and Scraps, whose supernatural figures make ascertaining a definitive breed difficult. Additionally, the timeline doesn’t work because, although the narrative about Zero and Scraps being the body and soul of Sparky makes sense,The Nightmare Before ChristmasandCorpse Brideare set beforeFrankenweenie, which has aesthetics pointing to the late 1950s and more modern eras. Therefore, while this long-standing Tim Burton theory is fun to entertain, it is plain to see that it’s simply not meant to be.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Cast
Henry Selick directs The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion fairytale from the mind of Tim Burton. Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween and one of Halloweentown’s most beloved citizens, but he longs for something more. When he stumbles across a magical door that leads him to discover Christmas, he makes it his mission to replace Santa Claus and bring festive cheer to his perpetually spooky hamlet.
Corpse Bride
Directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton, Corpse Bride is a stop-motion fantasy-horror musical released in 2005. Set in the Victorian Era in England, a groom named Victor accidentally weds Emily, a skeletal woman, while practicing his vows alone in a forest. Whisked away to the Land of the Dead, Victor attempts to help Emily with the circumstances surrounding her fate while trying to escape his new temporary undead home.
