“It’s Not Called ‘The Light Crystal'” – The Dark Crystal at SDCC 2019

Some of you may have realized that I am very excited about the upcoming Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. When I found out we were getting The Dark Crystal at SDCC 2019, I nearly cried. After today, I am more excited about this show than ever.

There was the typical panel and press room, but those weren’t the only places to find The Dark Crystal at SDCC 2019. The Netflix booth on the show floor is dedicated to the series, giving fans an inside look at the series (and giving them a pair of Gelfling ears!). I haven’t been able to do this booth yet because the line is always capped whenever I walk past, but I’m hoping!

I was fortunate enough to be in the press room, where Lisa Henson (executive producer), Louis Leterrier (director), and Taron Egerton (Rian) were on hand to talk about bringing fans back to the world of Thra.

I was also, thanks to the generosity of Netflix, lucky to be given a seat in the panel – held in SDCC’s illustrious and infamous Hall H – where Henson, Leterrier, and Egerton were joined by Mark Hamill (The Scientist).

Highlights from the panel and press room:

• Though Egerton refused to sing when the audience demanded he do so, he said in the press room that he does sing in the series.
• Lisa said this show was much more than a reboot, and that this is her third SDCC talking about a Dark Crystal property, and how thrilled she is that this time it’s real. Talking about it in Hall H was the greatest moment of her professional life.
• When asked about how to make the show hopeful when we already know the outcome, everyone pointed out that the first one was very melancholy as well. Lisa mentioned that one of the writers was fond of saying, “It’s not called The Light Crystal.”
• Mark was very impressed by the script, which he says got the approval of Gary Kurtz (before he passed).
• Everything on the show is handcrafted, and the designers used some of the original puppets and sets (which were in the Creature Shop) to jump-start the designs for the new series.
• The film was shot with the puppets first, and then the actors came in to do their voiceover work. Taron and Simon Pegg were a few of the actors who wanted to come to the set and watch the puppeteers.
• Speaking of puppets, Netflix essentially refused to do a Dark Crystal series without puppets. CGI was never even considered.
• “I play a Gelfling. I’ve always wanted to say that.” – Taron Egerton. He is a huge fan of the original film and was ridiculously excited when he was offered the role.
• When asked what Netflix shows they were fans of, Egerton hemmed and hawed until saying Stranger Things, which is when Louis called him a liar and forced him to admit that he’s never seen Stranger Things.
• Mark Hamill being awarded the Comic-Con International Icon Award.

Fans were also given a few treats. One in the form of a teaser trailer for the making-of documentary that will be the show’s eleventh episode, the other in the form of the entire first episode, which won’t be released on Netflix until August 30.

Obviously, I’m under embargo not to say anything, and I’m a little afraid to give even basic impressions, but I will say that it was incredible, and that I’m very excited for the rest of the episodes. (Seriously. I cannot wait. There’s still more than a month to go!)

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premieres August 30, 2019, on Netflix.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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