Director Henry Selick, who helmed the stop-motion-animated A Nightmare Before Christmas, doesn't dismiss the possibility of a sequel to the beloved movie, but he has reservations.

Selick—speaking to the press on Friday in Los Angeles while promoting his new animated film, Coraline—said he would consider it if he and producing partner Tim Burton could come up with the right story.

"It would have to depend," Selick said. "It's a hard thing to top in terms of story. That particular collision of nightmares is perfect. I don't know if Jack Skellington trying to take over President's Day weekend would be as good [laughs]."

Selick adds: "If there's a great idea, I would certainly love to [do it]. The film has a long life."

Selick still marvels at the movie's unstoppable staying power, though he created it in collaboration with Burton 16 years ago. When asked about the ongoing success of all things associated with Nightmare Before Christmas, from the yearly 3-D re-release to the popular merchandise, Selick smiles and says he's enjoyed seeing Disney claim the project as one of its own after the initial release under the company's Touchstone banner.

Of all the memorable characters created by Selick, Jack Skellington remains a personal favorite. "I'm pretty close to Jack, because he was created by Tim when I was working with Tim," Selick said. "I ended up acting out a lot of Jack for my animators. When you have a lot of different animators working with one character, you try to make it all the same. So I think Tim and I both have a special affection for that guy."

As for Coraline, which opens Feb. 6, Selick said that he has been painstakingly working on the intricate stop-motion details for five years. For now, he's taking a breather before picking his next directorial effort. He's also helping a younger artist bring a new original project to the screen and may serve as a producer.

"[It's] the first project I'm trying to help get off the ground with the company I'm working with, Licca," Selick said. "It's my head storyboard artist's project, Chris Butler. [It's called] Paranorman. I think he's come up with a great original story. It's sort of a sweet story about a boy who communes with his dead grandmother who ultimately has to face down an army of puritan zombies to save his town. It's very, very funny."