Fans of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal will soon be able to see a whole new side of that world. Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance has a new story that ties in with the 1982 film. However, it wasn’t always planned to be a prequel to that Henson film. While speaking with Collider, series creators Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews revealed that they initially pitched the series as a sequel to the 1986 classic, Labyrinth.
“Will and I have been writing together for 10 years, and he didn’t drink when I met him, so I introduced him to alcohol and weird puppet movies from the 80s,” explained Addis. “We just would sit around for fun and break stories on things that we loved. It was an exercise, for us. So, we were literally sitting in a bar having some drinks and talking about how you would do Labyrinth 2, shortly after [David] Bowie passed away. That’s why it was in the zeitgeist. So, we came up with something that we loved and thought, ‘Let’s call the Henson Company,’ and it has led to this, which is so crazy.”
“It was a dream idea, to throw [our idea for Labyrinth 2] out there and see what happens,” added Addis. “But to have them come back and say, “What about The Dark Crystal?,” was incredible, so we jumped at it.”
RELATED: Watch The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Final Trailer
After a meeting with Lisa Henson — and a quick look at the classic Creature Shop — the duo got to work on the series.
“We went back to the bar, and got back to work,” explained Matthews. “Jeff and I stayed up all night and worked on our pitch for a sequel feature film. And then, we went in and met Lisa Henson, and she said, ‘I’m so glad you’re here to tell me your idea for our prequel TV show.’ And we were like, ‘Yup, no problem. Got it. Here we go!’ You just meet and talk about it and share ideas. And then, you go in for another meeting, and [director/executive producer] Louis Leterrier was at that one, and that one went well. And then, a couple of weeks later, you’re pitching the whole series to Netflix, and you’re off and running.”
You can catch the full interview here.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premieres on Friday, August 30 on Netflix.
Are you excited to see what the prequel series brings? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Creation of Myths: The Complete Collection
