The team behind Netflix's upcoming prequel series "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" hopes that "you forget you’re watching puppets."
Fans at the ongoing San Diego Comic-Con were treated to a glimpse of the artistry behind the scenes of the series last night, and we’ve now got that video right here for you. The video is essentially a behind the scenes featurette and a new trailer all in one, highlighting all of the hard work and craftsmanship that went into recreating the magical world of Thra and its inhabitants. Check it out below.
The new series arrives on August 30th.
The 10-episode fantasy adventure series takes place many years before the events of the groundbreaking 1982 fan favorite, and is realized using classic puppetry with cutting edge visual effects created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and Brian Froud, the original feature’s conceptual designer!
The series voice cast is led by Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), and Nathalie Emmanuel ("Game of Thrones"), as Rian, Brea and Deet, three Gelfling heroes.
Sigourney Weaver, Lena Headey, Benedict Wong, Awkwafina, Hannah John-Kamen and Dave Goelz will also lend their voices to the new series.
Other Gelfling characters are voiced by:
Caitriona Balfe ("Outlander")
Helena Bonham-Carter (The King’s Speech)
Harris Dickinson (forthcoming Maleficent 2)
Natalie Dormer ("Game of Thrones")
Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen)
Theo James (The Divergent Series)
Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Shazad Latif ("Star Trek: Discovery")
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)
Mark Strong (Kingsman)
Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider)
The Skeksis and Mystics are voiced by:
Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song)
Mark Hamill (Star Wars)
Ralph Ineson ("Game of Thrones")
Jason Isaacs ("The OA")
Keegan-Michael Key ("Key and Peele")
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson ("True Detective")
Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead)
Andy Samberg ("Brooklyn Nine Nine")
Aughra will be voiced by Donna Kimball (The Happytime Murders). Additional characters will also be voiced by puppeteers from the production, including Alice Dinnean, Louise Gold, Neil Sterenberg and Victor Yerrid. Further casting will follow in due course.
In the series, 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.
Feature film director Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk) will executive produce the series and direct. "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" will be a Netflix original series produced by The Jim Henson Company and executive produced by Letterier, Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford. Longtime Henson collaborator Rita Peruggi will serve as producer and Henson’s Blanca Lista will serve as a co-executive producer. Leading the writing are co-executive producers Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, and Javier Grillo-Marxuach ("Lost", "The 100").
