All Puppets And No CGI? The Dark Crystal Prequel Series Sounds Fantastic
Hello nerds!
Thanks to The Jim Henson Company, some of us really love and fear puppets. We loved them as kids from such gems like The Muppet Show and movies, and then we learned to fear them from 1982’s The Dark Crystal. For many of us, that film was one of the first forays into drama and holy shit, did it ever deliver a ton of it. Even as an adult, it’s dramatic to watch.
Granted the movie featured an all-puppet cast, but it was still terrifying and beautiful. It’s a superb movie that even holds up to this day, which is impressive since this movie is likely older than most of the people reading this. Fans of the film have long pined away for a sequel to this movie, and just last year they received some great news. The Dark Crystal was headed to Netflix for all-new stories. However, instead of a sequel, the series is in fact a prequel and will tell the tale of the events leading into the classic film.
During the panel at New York Comic Con, director Louis Leterrier said the series has been in development for quite some time and it would be using practical puppets over CGI. Which is the right fucking call.
“We’ve been developing this project for seven years, and then we eventually found exciting partners in Netflix. And we realized that the canvas was so massive. Like Jim Henson [says], it was his biggest, hardest task and his greatest achievement. We’re not using CGI on this one. It’s puppets, man. Puppets!”
Oh hell yes. The original movie still stands the test of time and a big part of the film’s charm are the practical FX and brilliant puppetry. To do the series any other way would ba a true disservice, so it’s quite a relief to hear some think the old ways are best. Granted, the show is under the watchful eye of the Henson family, so I like its chances of being great.
And speaking of the Henson’s, during the panel Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company, revealed some more plot details and I am starting to freak the shit out with excitement to see it.
“In the original movie, Jen and Kira stop at the Wall of Destiny and they see the ruins of what was once a beautiful Gelfling culture, and we took that as a jumping of point for the whole series. What was that culture, what was lost, what was that beautiful Gelfling civilization? It’s very developed, with a big canvas with many different group of Gelflings…it’s rich.”
Yup, I’m more than ready to see this show.
Lastly, Leterrier says while the show is indeed looking to bring back the audience who grew up with these stories, it’s also looking to introduce new audiences to the beautiful world Jim Henson and Brian Froud brought to life.
“We need to serve the fans…but also we need to create new fans. Kids these days, they haven’t seen puppets that look like this. It’s different and sometimes quite scary. There’s action and drama and a few deaths. You’re going to like it.”
I hope we do, Louis. I hope we do.
Unfortunately, there’s no release date for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, but we’ll keep you informed as more develops. Until then, do enjoy the teaser for a few brief glimpses of what’s to come when we head back to the lands of Thra.
“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.”
And if you love monster movies, superheroes, and the 80s be sure to check out the latest podcast.
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