The Dark Crystal prequel series will push puppeteering to a whole new level

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

In this age of meticulously crafted computer-animated TV shows and movies, the idea of puppets might seem somewhat quaint, but The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is on the way to remind us just how bad-ass and creative the medium of puppetry can be. Taking place many years before the events of the original film, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will follow three Gelflings as they uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis.

The latest issue of Pilot TV has dropped a new image from the upcoming series featuring a new look at one of the terrifying Skeksis.

Director Louis Leterrier also dropped a tease regarding just how ambitious the puppetry is. "We are throwing everything at this," Leterrier said. "Nobody’s fooled by CG any more. We know when something is CG. Puppets, we know someone had to [work them]… And we’re pushing puppeteering beyond anything anyone has done before." And if you're like me and have never seen THE DARK CRYSTAL, Leterrier is confident that "even if you haven’t seen the movie, it’s still really exciting."

Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nathalie Emmanuel lead the ten-episode series, with Caitriona Balfe, Natalie Dormer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Alicia Vikander, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Hamill, Jason Isaacs, Keegan-Michael Key, Simon Pegg, Andy Samberg, and more supplying their voices as well.

The official synopsis for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance:

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.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will hit Netflix on August 30, 2019.