Netflix has released a teaser trailer and poster for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Released in 1982, The Dark Crystal was a fantasy adventure that marked a dramatic change of pace for directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz. The pair were best known for their zany antics with The Muppets at the time, so audiences were naturally taken aback when they delivered a movie full of frightening and sometimes grotesque puppet characters. And while The Dark Crystal faltered at the box office as a result, it's since gone on to become a cult classic and a nostalgic favorite among children of the '80s.
Now, having recently turned its screenplay for an abandoned Dark Crystal film sequel into a comic book, The Jim Henson Company has joined forces with Netflix for a prequel series titled Age of Resistance. Directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans), the show takes place long before the events of The Dark Crystal and follows three Gelflings - Rian (Taron Egerton), Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel) - as they set out to save their planet Thra and fight back against the malicious Skeksis. Netflix has released a number of photos from the ten-part series over the last six months, but has refrained from unveiling any footage... until today, that is.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance has now gotten an official teaser trailer and poster, courtesy of Netflix. You can check them out in the space below.
As seen here, Age of Resistance picks up as the wise, ancient astronomer Aughra (now voiced by Donna Kimball) discovers the Skeksis are up to new sorts of wickedness with the shattered Dark Crystal at their disposal. The prequel series uses old-school puppetry to bring its characters to life (rather than modern CGI), so its designs for characters like Aughra, the Skeksis, and the Gelflings are very faithful to their looks in The Dark Crystal movie, as this footage illustrates. Obviously, the show has the benefit of bigger production values and improved digital effects to make Thra seems shinier and more fluid than it was in Henson and Oz's film, but otherwise Age of Resistance feels like a chip off the same block as its predecessor. And of course, this trailer takes a moment to assure that Chamberlain will make his infamous "Hmmm..." noise at some point in the series proper.
Speaking of Chamberlain: Netflix has yet to announce the character's voice actor in Age of Resistance. However, it has confirmed the Skeksis are being brought to life by a star-studded cast that includes Mark Hamill and Keegan-Michael Key, in addition to Harvey Fierstein, Ralph Ineson, Jason Isaacs, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Simon Pegg, and Andy Samberg. The Gelflings aren't hurting for star power either, and are being voiced by actors like Caitriona Balfe, Helena Bonham Carter, Harris Dickinson, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Toby Jones, Shazad Latif, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Strong, and Alicia Vikander. Between the A-grade cast and polished imagery on display in the trailer, it's fair to say Netflix is going all-out for this one.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance begins streaming this summer on Friday, August 30 on Netflix.
Source: Netflix