Netflix reveals first look images of all-star 'The Dark Crystal' series starring Mark Hamill

The Dark Crystal is one of Jim Henson’s most famous cultural offerings and now Netflix is looking to make a similar impact with its new prequel series.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is set years before the events of the 1982 film where the world of Thra is dying because of damage to the Crystal of Truth which is the heart of Thra’s power.

The evil Skeksis are behind the Crystal’s corruption and after three young Gelfling discover their terrible secret they embark on a rebellious adventure in order to save the planet from darkness.

Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nathalie Emmanuel voice the three Gelfling Rian, Brea and Deet, respectively, with Mark Hamill voicing one of the Skeksis and Mystics alongside Andy Samberg, Harvey Fierstein, Jason Isaacs, Keegan-Michael Key and Simon Pegg.

The voice cast also features Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), Helena Bonham-Carter (The King’s Speech), 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) and Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider)

“To match the stunning visual world of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, we knew we had to entice some incredible voice talent to add dimension to the exquisite artistry of the puppeteers who bring the characters to life,” says Cindy Holland, Netflix’s VP of Original Series.

“I am proud to say that this may be one of the finest casts assembled from the world’s favourite TV shows and movies, and I am now even more excited for fans to come back to Thra with us, and for new viewers to discover this world for the very first time.”

Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company said, “It is humbling to see so many truly gifted actors join The Dark Crystal universe by adding their voices to Age of Resistance.

“It is thrilling to see this assembled team of artists, puppeteers and now voice actors, many inspired by my father’s original film, work together to realize this unique world – through performance and craft – at a scale that is rarely seen today.”

The original Dark Crystal film took seven years to make and it was the first in the history of cinema to have an all-puppet cast.

The original characters were conceived by Brian Froud and brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, though this time there will be a mix of puppets and visual effects used to bring the world of Thra to life.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will launch globally on Netflix in 2019

READ MORE
Aquaman mid-credit scene explained
What critics think of Aquaman
The stars we lost in 2018