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What’s this? Jack Skellington is back ladies and gentlemen, ready to bring back his misadventures from Halloween Town in a brand new way for 2023!
Jack is Back
Jack Skellington, the bony feature from Tim Burton’s 1993 masterpiece The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a staple of Halloween not just in his home of Halloween Town but also in the real world. The Pumpkin King (voiced by Chris Sarandon and Danny Elfman) has been delighting Halloween fanatics and Disney fans for decades, bringing his melancholy voice to theatres and television to celebrate Halloween and Christmas.
Credit: Disney
The star-studded, stop-motion animated feature featuring Jack Skellington, Sally (Catherin O’Hara), and Oogie Boogie (Ken Page) has gained a surmountable following since its release. Featuring cultural references to both Halloween and Christmas, the film has also led many to debate which holiday is suitable for enjoying. The answer is simple: both!Â
Since the release of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington and company have become closely knitted to Halloween celebrations around the world. Fans of the “Pumpin King” splatter the undead star on clothing and other merchandise. You can even find Jack Skellington as a 13-foot animatronic at Home Depot! If Santa gets Christmas, Jack is definitely the unofficial (although official) mascot for Halloween in our eyes.
Jack Skellington, Disney’s King of Halloween
You won’t only find Jack and his Halloween Town friends in yards and stores this holiday season. Jack Skellington, Oogie Boogie, and Sally are also one of the premiere Halloween draws within Disney Parks. As part of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Halloween celebrations, Jack Skellington sees long lines to meet him before introducing fireworks at Cinderella Castle during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Credit: Inside the Magic
On the other coast, Oogie Boogie gets most of the love. The Oogie Boogie Bash takes place at Disney’s California Adventure each Halloween, while the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland receives a few new residents, who typically call Halloween Town home, that hang around until the holidays are over. The Nightmare Before Christmas crew doesn’t shy away from celebrating all things macabre and dreadful during Halloween, even at the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
While taking a break from capturing Sandy Claws, Jack and the gang are a feature of Halloween and Christmas celebrations throughout Walt Disney World and Disneyland, lending their helping, but sometimes decaying, hands to festive celebrations of fright and cheer to Disney guests.
Jack Skellington Comes to Gaming
As insanely popular as The Nightmare Before Christmas is, you’d think that Jack Skellington would’ve made his jump to popular mediums unowned by Disney by now. Although there is a market for unauthorized Jack Skellington merchandise out there, video games are one area where he’s virtually been unused. However, he has made an appearance in Disney’s Kingdom Hearts franchise. Still, this Halloween, Jack Skellington is set to help a few other big names ring in the spooky celebrations for the first time in one of the biggest games in the world, Fortnite.Â
Credit: Disney/ Epic Games
If you have a young child with a video game console, you’ve most likely heard of Epic Game’s most successful product to date. Maybe you’re the gamer in your family; either way, since 2018, Fortnite has grown into a billion-dollar business with millions of players worldwide hopping online at different times to try and earn a victory royale against 100 others.
Related: Danny Elfman’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Returning to Concert This Halloween
The game, which has relied on intellectual property partnerships lately to promote new “skins,” which are cosmetics that players can purchase using V-bucks (digital game currency), offers players a fun and competitive way to build theirselves to a win. Not to be outdone by others, Fortnite doesn’t skimp when it comes to getting in on the spooky fun of holidays like Halloween, offering players a chance to purchase unique items like skins, pickaxes, gliders, back-bling, and contrails, as well as special modes of gameplay online.
Credit: Disney
2023 will be a banner year for Fortnite players, as Fortnightmares, the Halloween edition of the game, is offering up some scary treats! Reintroducing past Halloween-themed skins in their item shop, players are getting excited about additions made to the game’s map this week, including new candies, weapons, and the announcement of brand-new Halloween skins coming to the game, one being Disney’s very own Jack Skellington.
Joining Jack Skellington on Fortnite
Although fans are stoked to have Disney’s “King of Halloween’ in the game as a purchasable skin, they are even more excited that a few extras will also be available. Every good player needs a black bling or wearable cosmetic for the back of their character. In Jack Skellington’s case, his back bling will be none other than his undead, eternal companion Zero! Jack will also come with a Jack’s scary face emote, peppermint parasol pick axe, and Jack’s sled glider. He’s the perfect addition to the reintroduced pumpkin launcher this Halloween season!
Related: Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas Is Already on Its Way to Theatres
Although Jack Skellington, from director Kevin Selick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, was plenty to get fans excited for Chapter 4, Season 4 on Fortnite, a few other notable additions to the game come from Michael Myers and Alan Wake wearable cosmetics. The new game skins will make a great time for fans of Fortnite as they dive deep into new map features, such as Halloween decor sprinkled along the houses in different towns of the playable map. As well, the Battle Bus, which carries players to the island where the last-man-standing battle begins, is already decked out in Halloween decor as of October 10.
Credit: Epic Games/ Disney
Although, outside of Zero, Jack is coming to Fortnite from Halloween Town alone (we’d love to see Sally and Oogie Boogie introduced into the game), the addition is fascinating as he’s a character many weren’t expecting to be added to the game. Fortnite has had a long-standing relationship with Disney for years, partnering to bring other cosmetics related to Star Wars and the Avengers to the extremely popular online contest. They’ve even partnered to bring specific live events to the map during gameplay to help promote new films from both franchises and others like Wreck-It Ralph.Â
Oh, we almost forgot, Halloween’s main event will also have a Christmas Jack Skellington version of the skin, making him great for players during both Halloween and the upcoming festive holiday season.
Jack Turns 30
The timing of the inclusion of The Nightmare Before Christmas into Fortnite is no accident. As the film was released in 1993, it is celebrating 30 years of bringing stop-motion astonishment to viewers. Disney, not one to miss an opportunity to celebrate, is ensuring that everyone has a chance to enjoy Jack Skellington and the gang this Halloween season, even going as far as to rerelease the original film in theatres throughout the United States and Canada.
Credit: Disney
That’s not all, as the Hollywood Bowl will also be bringing back The Nightmare Before Christmas live concert for three nights this year, including the vocal talents Ken Page, Danny Elfman, Catherin O’Hara, and Halsey. Joining the voices on stage will be a 50-piece orchestra dedicated to bringing the hauntingly familiar ballads of Halloween Town to life in celebration of Jack’s 30th birthday.
So, whether you’re a Fortnite player or not, there’s plenty of reason to get excited as The Walt Disney Company brings Jack back this Halloween. If you play the game, be sure to keep a sharp eye on the item shop which refreshes every single day. It’s unknown the exact time and date that Jack Skellington will be available for purchase, and for the rest of you, pop some popcorn, snuggle up on the couch, and enjoy a trip to Halloween Town with “The Pumpkin King.”
