As a child, I asked my parents to rent out The Dark Crystal from our local Civic Video so many times that they could have only possibly concluded that I had some sort of disease. Even now, I’m still obsessed with that movie. It is dark, weird, abstract, gorgeous, beautifully scored, and, most importantly, incredible dope. It introduces a rich and utterly bizarre world with little to no exposition, allowing everything to speak for itself.
So it was with great excitement and trepidation that I responded to the prospect of Netflix‘s 10-part Dark Crystal TV series. Do I want more from that world? You bet your ass. Is there a chance it could fuck everything up spectacularly enough that it ruins my enjoyment of the original? I can’t rule it out.
But from the outset there have been some promising signs: it’s being done in concert with the The Jim Henson Company (executive produced by Jim Henson’s daughter, Lisa Henson) and would be 100% puppetry, with no CGI. What’s also helping me not freak the fuck out is Netflix’s announcement of the hugely stacked voice cast.
The series will say the main cast — Gelflings Rian, Brea, and Deet — played by Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nathalie Emmanuel. Aughra will make a return in the series, voiced by Donna Kimball. In other, as-yet-unnamed roles as Gelflings, Mystics, and Skeksis, the show will also feature (pause for a deep breath) Caitriona Balfe, Helena Bonham-Carter, Harris Dickinson, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Toby Jones, Shazad Latif, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Strong, Alicia Vikander, Harvey Fierstein, Mark Hamill, Ralph Ineson, Jason Isaacs, Keegan-Michael Key, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Simon Pegg, and (my personal favourite) Andy ‘Goddamn’ Samberg.
The series will take place before the events of the 1982 movie, seemingly at the time that the crystal cracked:
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance tells a new epic story, set many years before the events of the movie, and realized using classic puppetry with cutting edge visual effects. The world of Thra is dying. The Crystal of Truth is at the heart of Thra, a source of untold power. But it is damaged, corrupted by the evil Skeksis, and a sickness spreads across the land. When three Gelfling uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis, an adventure unfolds as the fires of rebellion are lit and an epic battle for the planet begins.
I cannot bloody wait.
The series is set to be released some time next year.
