Netflix has revealed the first look photos and official voice cast for its prequel TV series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The original Dark Crystal movie was co-directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, and was something of a critical and commercial disappointment upon its release in 1982. However, the puppet-driven fantasy adventure has developed a pretty sizable cult following over the 36 years since then, and for a long time there was talk of the Jim Henson Company making a proper sequel film titled The Power of the Dark Crystal.
While The Power of the Dark Crystal movie was ultimately scrapped, its script was eventually refashioned as a comic book series published by Archaia Comics and BOOM! Studios last year. Around the same time, Netflix announced plans for Age of Resistance, a ten-episode series set “many years” before the events of The Dark Crystal film. The company has finally started to pull the curtain back on the project, following its sneak peek at Netflix’s “Netflix & Chill” event back at New York Comic Con in October.
Related: Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Will Not Use Any CGI, Only Puppets
Per Netflix’s announcement, Age of Resistance follows three young Gelfling heroes in the forms of Rian, Brea, and Deet, as voiced by Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Anya Taylor-Joy (Split), and Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones). The other Gelflings in the series are voiced by an all-star cast that includes Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Helena Bonham-Carter (Ocean’s Eight), Harris Dickinson (Trust), Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Eddie Izzard (Hannibal), Theo James (Divergent), Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox), Mark Strong (Kingsman 1&2), and Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider). You can check out the first photos of Rian, Brea and Deet in the space below.
Age of Resistance, like The Dark Crystal movie, pits its heroes against the wicked Skeksis, who are responsible for the sickness spreading across the fantasy world of Thra. The series’ Skeksis voice cast is as star-studded as the Gelfling crew and includes Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, along with Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song), Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones), Jason Isaacs (The OA), Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (True Detective), Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible), and Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine Nine). Last, but certainly not least, the wise astronomer Aughra is voiced by Donna Kimball (The Happytime Murders) in Age of Resitance.
Directed by Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk, Clash of the Titans, Now You See Me), Age of Resistance carries over Brian Froud’s lovely fantasy character designs from the original Dark Crystal movie, if these first-look images are any indicator. As for the series’ voice cast: it’s pretty dang fantastic and serves as a testament to just how many actors working today grew up on – and clearly loved – Henson and Oz’s original fantasy film, and are now helping to bring the next chapter to life. Suffice it to say, whether you’re already a fan of The Dark Crystal or not, this is definitely one to watch out for on Netflix next year.
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The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance launches globally on Netflix in 2019.
