Henry Selick Signs Long-Term Deal to Make Stop-Motion Movies for Disney

Director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, the Oscar-nominated Coraline) has signed an exclusive long-term deal with Disney to create stop-motion animated films for the studio.  Variety reports that Selick plans to move to the Bay Area and plans to write and direct films based on original ideas and literary properties.

The signing of Selick is yet another example of how Pixar and Disney Animation Studios head John Lasseter is bringing back all animation to the studio.  Last year, The Princess and the Frog marked the first 2D animated musical for Disney since 2004′s Home on the Range.  Selick made his directing debut for Disney back in 1993 with Nightmare and Coraline grossed $75 million.  That film, plus Fantastic Mr. Fox, Mary & Max, and A Town Called Panic, shows there’s definitely interest for stop-motion animation.  I personally love the medium and Selick is one of its kings.

It’s wonderful news that Lasseter (who developed a friendship with Selick back in their days at the California Institute for the Arts) has given Selick the creative freedom to bring us more great movies.