The Nightmare Before Christmas - Releases

Releases

Walt Disney Pictures decided to release the film under their Touchstone Pictures banner because they thought the film would be "too dark and scary for kids", Selick remembered. "Their biggest fear, and why it was kind of a stepchild project, they were afraid of their core audience hating the film and not coming." To help market the film, "It was released as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas," Burton explained. "But it turned more into more of a brand-name thing, it turned into something else, which I'm not quite sure about." The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 9.

With successful home video sales, Nightmare achieved the ranks of a cult film. Touchstone Pictures first released the film on DVD in December 2, 1997. It contained no special features. Nightmare was released a second time in October 2000 as a special edition. The release included an audio commentary by Selick and cinematographer Pete Kozachik, a 28-minute making-of documentary, a gallery of concept art, storyboards, test footage and deleted scenes. Burton's Vincent and Frankenweenie were also included. Both DVDs were non-anamorphic widescreen releases.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on DVD (again, this time with an anamorphic transfer) and on Blu-ray Disc (for the first time) in August 2008 as a two-disc digitally remastered "collector's edition", but still containing the same special features.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney Blu-ray 3D on August 30, 2011. The release is a 3-disc combo pack including a Blu-ray 3D disc, Blu-ray Disc and a DVD that includes both a DVD and digital copy of the film.