We've known for a while that Netflix was cooking up a new series based within the world of The Dark Crystal, the 1982 Jim Henson classic that one uncle of yours is still super into at the age of 43, but until today we haven't been sure who might be voicing the extensive cast of puppets that make up the show.
Netflix just shot over a press release announcing that cast, and good lord - they've got everyone in here. Check out this murderer's row of talent:
"Leading the voice cast are Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), and Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), as Rian, Brea and Deet, three Gelfling heroes.
Other Gelfling characters are voiced by:
- Taron Egerton (Kingsman)
- Anya Taylor Joy (The Witch)
- Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones)
- 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 & Mystics are voiced by:
- Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song)
- Mark Hamill (Knightfall, Star Wars)
- Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones)
- Jason Isaacs (The OA)
- Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele)
- Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (True Detective)
- Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible)
- Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Aughra will be voiced by:
- Donna Kimball (The Happytime Murders)"
That's a staggering amount of talent! And that's not all - Netflix also sent over a handful of images from the series. The first one's at the top of this page, but here are the others:
So, Netflix's The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance will look a lot like the original Dark Crystal, just with higher-quality puppets. This tracks, seeing as how all involved (read: the Jim Henson Company) have had almost four decades to fine-tune those designs. We're into these!
If you're wondering, here's an official plot synopsis:
"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."
A personal note: I am a child of the '80s, but I confess that mine was a Labyrinth household. I was always aware of The Dark Crystal, but for whatever reason the entire thing didn't interest me until much later in life, at which time I found the whole thing to be pretty damn impressive on a technical level, but not really my cup of tea on a narrative one. That said, it's hard not to be intrigued by what Netflix is building here (particularly with that incredible cast in place), and I'm curious to give this a go once it hits that streaming service next year.
How 'bout y'all? You into all this? Not so much? Got anything to add? Sound off in the comments below.