Jack Skellington of The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the tallest residents of Halloween Town, but exactly how tall he stands has long been the subject of debate. Official merchandise for the beloved animated film has now offered an answer, putting an exact number for the character’s height.
A listing on Target for this year’s Halloween season is for a “Jack Skellington Life-Size Animated Figure.” Officially licensed by Disney and advertised as “life-size,” the figure stands at 6.5 ft tall, confirming this is the height that Disney considers to be the actual height for the Pumpkin King. That’s tall, albeit not as much as some fans had suggested in online discussions on the subject, with some guessing that he was closer to 11 ft tall.
Jack Skellington’s Height Has Been Debated for Decades
The height of 6.5 ft tracks with what is known about Jack. In the song “Jack’s Lament,” the character mentions being dead, signifying that he was once human before becoming a skeleton resident of Halloween Town. The tallest human that’s ever been recorded, according to Guinness World Records, stood at 8 ft 11 in. This was obviously incredibly rare, as it’s extremely uncommon for humans to reach the 7 ft mark. It’s more plausible that Jack was actually 6.5 ft tall.
Notably, Jack has extraordinarily long legs and a thin frame with an oversized head. That could be making his height seem much greater than it actually is. He is taller than Sally, but not to an extreme degree, as she comes up to around his shoulder area. Jack is exceptionally taller than the mayor of Halloween Town, but it could be that the mayor is also very short. In any case, this was one of multiple longstanding mysteries that has had fans perplexed for over three decades.
Fans Can Display Jack Skellington at Home
Target’s Jack Skellington life-size figure comes with some perks. He sings “Jack’s Lament” with animated arm and hand movement, while wearing his familiar iconic suit and bat necktie. It has a collapsible design to make it easier to store between seasons, though fans are always welcome to keep Jack displayed all year long. The listing has a normal retail price of $329.99, but as of this writing, it’s on sale for $263.99. It can be found on Target.com.
Directed by Henry Selick and written by Caroline Thompson, The Nightmare Before Christmas is based on a story by Tim Burton. It follows Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, as he inadvertently enters the far-different Christmas Town, becoming obsessed with the festive holiday. He hopes to bring the dark spirit to Christmas by taking over Santa’s job, only to realize that Christmas is not his to take, as Halloween is where he truly belongs. Chris Sarandon voiced Jack Skellington, while Catherine O’Hara, who passed away this year, provided the voice of Sally.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is streaming on Disney+.
- Release Date
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October 9, 1993
- Runtime
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76 minutes
- Director
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Henry Selick
- Writers
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Caroline Thompson, Tim Burton
- Producers
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Denise Di Novi, Don Hahn, Tim Burton
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Chris Sarandon
Jack Skellington (voice)
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Danny Elfman
Jack Skellington (singing) / Barrel / Clown with the Tear away Face (voice)
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