Ali
Sigourney Weaver, the tentpole icon who recently let slip she’ll be part of next year’s “Ghostbusters” reboot, in addition to the next “Avatar” and “Aliens” (well, if Cameron has his way), has joined the cast of Netflix’s “The Dark Crystal” sequel.
“The Dark Crystal : Age of Resistance” (see the trailer here) tells a new 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.
Weaver lends her lungs to a new character named The Myth-Speaker.
“I am so grateful to this dedicated and gifted ensemble who has so beautifully voiced the characters performed by our puppeteers. Gathering such highly skilled performers was only possible because of their love and respect for Jim Henson’s work and his ongoing legacy,” said Louis Leterrier, Director and Executive Producer for the series.
The film airs on Netflix Friday, August 30, 2019.The world of ”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.
From inception to release, ”The Dark Crystal” was seven years in the making and has since gone on to become a cult classic around the world. Visually conceived by Creature 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. Jim Henson’s unique vision was – in his own words – the hardest thing he ever worked on, describing it as “a work of art” and “the one that I’m most proud of.”
The visually stunning movie launched a huge range of publishing and collectible merchandise. Two series of graphic novels and a series of young adult novels combined to expand the Dark Crystal world, introducing origin stories, sequel storylines, and a broad canvas to tell a prequel story of the matriarchal Gelfling culture in a time when the world of Thra was younger and more vibrant. A new generation will soon be able to experience the wonder of this world, when ”The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” comes to Netflix globally.
”The Dark Crystal”, a truly classic movie, introduced a rich, vibrant, hand-crafted world, on which ”The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” will only expand, continuing Jim Henson’s innovative and creative legacy. Audiences will once again be thrilled to explore the world of Thra in this epic fantasy that everyone will be talking about.At the same time the “Aliens” and “Working Girl” star signed on, so too did Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”), B.D Wong (“Jurassic World”), Benedict Wong (“Avengers : Endgame”), and Awkwafina (”Crazy Rich Asians”). They join a star-studded cast headed up by “Rocketman” star Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy (“Glass”), Nathalie Emmanuel (“Fast & Furious”), Helena Bonham Carter (“Sweeney Todd”), Mark Hamill (“Star Wars”), Keegan-Michael Key (“Toy Story 4”) and Simon Pegg (“Star Trek”).
