Netflix Announces All-Star Voice Cast For ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’
Netflix has announced a stunning all-star cast for ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance‘ their upcoming prequel to Jim Henson’s groundbreaking 1982 feature film, ‘The Dark Crystal’. People lending their voice to the characters include Taron Egerton, Helena Bonham-Carter, Natalie Dormer, Mark Hamill, Andy Samberg, Toby Jones, plus many (many!) others.
‘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.
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, as yet unnamed, Gelflings include 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’) and Alicia Vikander (‘Tomb Raider’).
If that list of names just isn’t quite starstudded enough for you, the Skeksis & Mystics will be voiced by Mark Hamill (‘Star Wars’), Harvey Fierstein (‘Torch Song’), Ralph Ineson (‘Game of Thrones’), Jason Isaacs (‘Star Trek: Discovery’), Keegan-Michael Key (‘Key and Peele’), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (‘True Detective’), Simon Pegg (‘Mission Impossible’) and Andy Samberg (‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’). The voice for the wise Aughra will be provided by Donna Kimball (‘The Happytime Murders’).
And if those 23 names STILL aren’t enough, additional characters will be voiced by puppeteers from the production, including Alice Dinnean, Louise Gold, Neil Sterenberg and Victor Yerrid. They also say “further casting will follow in due course”… That’s a lot of people to fit into a recording booth!
“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,” commented Cindy Holland, VP of Original Series, Netflix. “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.”
‘The Dark Crystal’ began with Jim Henson’s groundbreaking 1982 movie, which he co-directed with Frank Oz. Jim Henson had been, until that time, known primarily as the genius behind the ‘Muppets’, and this fantasy adventure feature, the first to have an all-puppet cast, marked a turn to more realistic characters and creatures. Visually conceived by Character and Costume Designer Brian Froud, Thra, the setting for this epic story, is teeming with characters brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, including Gelfling heroes, villainous Skeksis, wise Mystics, and a host of original creatures. The movie launched a huge range of publishing and collectable merchandise including a series of graphic novels and YA novels.
“It is humbling to see so many truly gifted actors join ‘The Dark Crystal’ universe by adding their voices to Age of Resistance,” adds Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “As with the original film, we are now adding a voice cast of the highest calibre that will provide textures and range to the puppetry performances that are the heart of the series. 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 Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance‘ will premiere in 2019 on Netflix, but if you want to add it to your Netflix list right now, just follow this link.
