Even if you’ve seen Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” a dozen times, can recite all the lines….you’ve never seen it like this before. With newly enhanced spine-tingling 4-D sensory effects, Disney Digital 3-D™ and a sensational “making of” exhibition, this marvelous macabre classic is coming alive to haunt your holidays.
And the only place you can experience this 20th Anniversary Scare-ebration of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas”: at the legendary El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.
The FA-BOO-LOUS fun begins October 15 and continues for 20 spook-tacular days and nights through November 3, it was announced today by Lylle Breier, senior vice president of worldwide special events for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
“The film grows more popular every year with moviegoers and we’re very excited to continue our Halloween tradition! We’re delighted to be bringing ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ back to the El Capitan Theatre using both glorious Disney Digital 3-D and our special brand of 4-D with exciting new enhancements just for the 20th anniversary. There will be exciting sensory effects (including wind, snow, fog, and much more) for guests to experience in theater…and on screen,”–said Breier. “We will also have a very special 20th anniversary display on the making of the movie in our lower lounge, featuring a Halloween Town scale model, shooting set piece Spiral Mountain and a shooting set piece the Town Hall just recently re-discovered at Walt Disney Studios Archives. Seeing ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ at the El Capitan every year has become a Halloween tradition, and we’ve done everything we can to make this 20th Anniversary extra special.”
The engagement kicks off on Thursday October 15 at 7:00 pm with host Ken Page, the voice of Mr. Oogie Boogie, along with other surprise guests. Page, a legendary Broadway performer, has voiced all of the subsequent products associated with the film, as well as The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Parks. He has starred on Broadway Page is also in “Cats,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” and “The Wiz”, and also appeared in Los Angeles productions of “ The Threepenny Opera,” “Follies,” and “Damn Yankees,” and Disney’s “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Aida,” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” screens daily at the El Capitan Theatre at 10:00 am,12:15 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:45 pm, 7:00 pm, and 9:15 pm. Special late night Halloween weekend shows will be given at 11:15 pm Fridays and Saturdays only.
Tickets can be purchased at the El Capitan box office (6838 Hollywood Blvd.), online atwww.elcapitantickets.com, or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6. Special group rate tickets for parties of 20 or more are available by calling 1-818-845-3110.
Following the movie, El Capitan guests can continue the celebration at the “20th Anniversary Treat-tastic!” Tickets are $40 per person and include a VIP ticket to the movie (reserved seat, popcorn & drink), desserts, activities, souvenir photo, prizes and much more! Seating is limited. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Also, on select days, El Capitan guests may enjoy a ”Nightmare Before Christmas” Birthday Party. Seating is limited and reservations are required by calling 818-845-3110.
Commenting on the announcement, Lylle Breier said, “Our guests will get closer than ever to Halloween Town’s beloved Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, as he attempts to take over the Christmas holiday. Each year brings new screams of delight from our audiences, and they love being able to see their favorite Tim Burton characters in this very special way.”
The enormously popular stop-motion animated feature, directed by Henry Selick and presented by Walt Disney Pictures, was converted from its original 2-D format into a stunning dimensional and enchanting 3-D version in 2006 using the latest advancements in 3-D technology and animation. It became the first movie in industry history to be released exclusively in Digital 3-D, and it represented the first time in the history of motion pictures that a 3-D feature was created from an existing animated classic. An award-winning team of technicians and animators at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), in collaboration with In-Three Inc., helped Disney to convert the film from 2-D to 3-D by creating a new right eye image (by animating digitized versions of the original puppet characters and projecting footage of the sets onto dimensional geometry).
First released in 1993, Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was directed by Henry Selick (“James and the Giant Peach”), and based on a story and characters by Tim Burton. The film follows the earnest-but-misguided adventures of Jack Skellington, Halloween Town’s beloved Pumpkin King, as he attempts to take over the Christmas holiday. Against the advice of Sally, a lonely rag doll who has feelings for him, Jack enlists three mischievous trick-or-treaters – Lock, Shock, and Barrel – to help him kidnap Santa Claus.
Jack eventually realizes his mistake but has to contend with the evil Oogie Boogie before he can make things right and restore the Christmas holiday. Fueled by an unforgettable Grammy-nominated soundtrack featuring songs by Oscar® nominee Danny Elfman, Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in spine-tingling 4-D promises to be fun for the whole family.