Netflix's 'Dark Crystal' Prequel Series Reveals First Look Photos And Star-Studded Voice Cast
Netflix is reviving a cult favorite for many children of the 1980s in the form of the prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The series serves as a follow-up to Jim Henson's dark fantasy adventure The Dark Crystal from 1982, which featured some extremely impressive and immersive puppet work and production design. But don't worry if you've never seen the original movie – this series is set long before the events of The Dark Crystal, telling a new epic story.
Netflix has revealed the first photos from the Dark Crystal series, which show a loyal recreation of the Gelfling characters from the first movie. Plus, the voice cast has also been announced, including Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) and Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) in the lead roles, with voices like Mark Hamill, Mark Strong, Simon Pegg, Natalie Dormer, Gugu Mbatha-Raw filling out the cast.
Get the full Dark Crystal prequel series voice cast and see the first photos below.
Dark Crystal Prequel Series Photos
These photos of are the three lead characters in the series: Taron Egerton as Rian (top), Anya Taylor-Joy as Brea (left) and Nathalie Emanuel as Deet (right). They're the three Gelfling heroes in our story, which is said to take place long before the events of the first film. Here's the official synopsis, which lays out the story of the Dark Crystal prequel series:
Based on The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson's groundbreaking 1982 feature film, 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.
These images appear to perfectly emulate the look of Jim Henson's puppets from the 1982 film. The skin texture looks less like a puppet and more realistic, but otherwise, they have the same style. It'll be interesting to see how much more advanced the world of Thra can be with today's puppet technology in place.
Joining our three heroes is an impressive supporting cast playing other Gelfling characters: Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Helena Bonham-Carter (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), Harris Dickinson (Maleficent 2), Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Eddie Izzard (The Riches), Theo James (The Divergent Series), Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger), Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), and Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider).
However, they're not the only characters in this story. There's also the darker side of this fantasy world in the form of the Skeksis and Mystics. They have a voice cast that is equally impressive: Harvey Fierstein (Mrs. Doubtfire), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (True Detective), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), and Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine Nine).
And finally, there's Aughra, a creature of all things mysterious who embodies all races, all genders, and is the very essence of the world of Thra itself. The character was originally voiced by Billie Whitelaw, who sadly passed away in 2014. So now Aughra will be voiced by Donna Kimball, a longtime puppeteer who recently worked on The Happytime Murders. And she won't be the only puppeteer lending a voice, because Alice Dinnean, Louise Gold, Neil Sterenberg and Victor Yerrid are also among the cast.
Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Comapny, says:
"It is humbling to see so many truly gifted actors join The Dark Crystal universe by adding their voices to Age of Resistance. As with the original film, we are now adding a voice cast of the highest caliber that will provide textures and range to the puppetry performances that are the heart of the series. It is thrilling to see this assembled team of artists, puppeteers and now voice actors, many inspired by my father's original film, work together to realize this unique world – through performance and craft – at a scale that is rarely seen today."
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance doesn't have an exact release date yet, but it will arrive on Netflix sometime in 2019.