‘The Dark Crystal’ getting prequel series from Netflix and The Jim Henson Company
Well, this is certainly out of left field. Netflix and The Jim Henson company are bringing us The Dark Crystal prequel series we never knew we needed. (Or did we?)
The original movie, which was directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, was the first live-action film without any humans on screen. It featured a cast of all-puppet characters, and the unexpectedly dark story followed a Gelfling named Jen who sets out on a quest to return the lost shard of a powerful gem and restore balance to the world. Age of Resistance will be a 10-episode series that takes place “many years before” the events seen in the movie and retains the same live-action look as the film. Here’s the brief synopsis of the new show:
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance returns to the world of Thra with an all new adventure. When three Gelfling discover the horrifying secret behind the Skeksis’ power, they set out on an epic journey to ignite the fires of rebellion and save their world.
Brian Froud, the original feature’s conceptual designer, is involved with the series, which is great news because his imaginative designs were integral to the movie’s cult status.
And remember, this is Netflix we’re talking about – they’ve got some serious cash to work with, so they were able to lure plenty of other talented folks to contribute to this show. Co-executive producers Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Life in a Year) and Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost, The 100) are leading the writing staff, while filmmaker Louis Leterrier (The Transporter 2, Now You See Me) will executive produce and direct the series. And Jim Henson’s daughter Lisa Henson – the CEO of the Jim Henson Company – is executive producing as well, so you can be sure that this show won’t be crapping on the legacy of the movie.
Here’s a quick statement from Cindy Holland, the Vice President of Original Content at Netflix:
“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will combine the art of puppetry perfected by The Jim Henson Company, with Louis’ vision, powerful storytelling and a mix of cutting-edge digital imagery and visual effects. I can’t wait for families around the world to see how we bring these unique characters to life.”
The series will be shot in the U.K. (just as the movie was), but we don’t have a release date yet. What do you think about jumping back into the world of The Dark Crystal?