of finding the right balance of dark and light for
a show that would be suitable for a family
audience while keeping the sharp claws of the
original. All while simultaneously trying to
wrangle a vast extended universe into a clear
10-hour plot.
“What we are doing is on the level ofGame
Of Thronesin terms of dramatic complexity,”
says Matthews. For him and Addiss, this is their
first big project. Grillo-Marxuach was a writer
and producer onLost,MediumandThe 100.
“One of the things that’s great about building
something based on a beloved property that’s
over 30 years old is that so much has built up
around it,” he continues, referring to the many
novels, both graphic and traditional, that have
expanded theDark Crystalworld. “We said,
‘What we have here is a beautiful garden that
needs a little caretaking. We need to find a path
through that garden.’
They pored through all the available material
to help expand existing characters, chiefly the
Skeksis, and added new ones of their own
creation. What they ended up with was a prequel
set many years beforeThe Dark Crystal. The
Skeksis rule Thra, but they do so apparently
fairly benignly, leaving the Gelflings largely alone
in return for payment to fund their lavish lifestyle.
The Gelfling are thriving, with seven different
tribes, spread across mountains, woods and deep
underground caverns. The Skeksis derive their
power from the Dark Crystal but its effectiveness
is fading. Almost by accident, one of the skeksis
discovers that the crystal can be used to — trigger
warning for those still suffering Podling-based
trauma — extract life essence from Gelfling,
killing them but providing a potion that functions
like steroids for Skeksis, making them stronger
and more powerful. Three unconnected Gelfling
from different tribes get wind of the Skeksis’ evil
plan and vow to stop them.
The core characters are the three Gelfling
—Rian (voiced by Taron Egerton), a Skeksis-
palace guard; Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy), a bookish
princess; and Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel),
a Gelfling from an underground tribe who has
never seen the rest of the world — but around
them is a cast of possibly hundreds. How manyof them will haunt your dreams for the rest of
your life is not at this point known.FINDING A HERO
One ofAge Of Resistance’s sets, an exquisitely
detailed woodland village, is so large that you can
stand in the middle of it, look in any direction
and see nothing but more set. The sets have to be
huge to accommodate multiple puppeteers, with
multiple places for them to stand without
intruding into the scene. Some of those puppets
are taller than your average human (you wouldn’t
want to get in a fight with a Skeksis). Louis
Leterrier has spent months sprinting over every
inch of these sets. He is not only director of all 10
episodes, but also his own camera operator.
When Leterrier came toDark Crystal, he
had never done anything comparable. He’d
worked extensively with special effects — notably
onClash Of The TitansandThe Incredible Hulk
— but never with puppets. He rejects the idea
that this was a leftfield choice for him.
“It doesn’t tie to anything I’ve done ❯