![]() ‘ The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ courtesy of Netlfix We talked The Dark Crystal‘s legacy, the importance of modern puppeteering, and his place in the current state of the film industry. BEFORE this unfortunate announcement, we were lucky to sit down with Leterrier for an exclusive interview. Louis Leterrier is still signed on to direct a Bright sequel for Netflix, but it doesn’t make the timing any less rude. The result? A labor of love that harnessed the star power of Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helena Bonham Carter, Alicia Vikander, Simon Pegg, Awkwafina, Sigourney Weaver, and Mark Hamill.ĭespite winning the award for Outstanding Children’s Program at the 2020 Primetime Emmys, Netflix canceled the series after one season. ![]() Though it was the pure devotion and resilience of this french filmmaker that finally saw this project freed from its years in development hell. Previously known for helming Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, Transporter 2, and Now You See Me, he might not have been the creative voice fans initially expected would carry on the Jim Henson name. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was a pivotal turning point for director Louis Leterrier. The series received mass critical acclaim, winning over old and new fans by creating fresh lore without losing sight of what made the original so special. Against all odds, they must rise against the evil Skeksis and save their world from the Darkening. A prequel to Jim Henson’s 1982 cult classic, Age of Resistance follows three Gelflings: Rian, Deet, and Brea, as they journey together on a quest to unite the Gelfling clans. It’s been just over one year since The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premiered on Netflix. Though we would love for the program to find a new life, all quotes below must be taken into that context. “He said yes just because of the opportunity to make even more.Editors Note: As stated below, this conversation with The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance director Louis Leterrier was conducted before the announcement of the show’s cancellation. " asked for a meeting in 2011, and when said he was interested in making the film, we were already starting to remake it,” said “Age of Resistance” executive producer Lisa Henson, daughter of Jim and CEO and president of the Jim Henson Co.Įven when Netflix came into the picture and it was clear they wouldn’t be making a film, Leterrier stayed on. That might seem like hyperbole until you hear Leterrier talk about how, after a successful run of films that included the “Transporter” franchise, “The Incredible Hulk” and “Clash of the Titans,” the only movie-industry people he wanted to meet with were the folks at the Jim Henson Co. “It completely changed the course of my life.” ![]() “It was a very visceral, intense experience, because I was 10, I think, and I started making short films using my toys and stuff - Super 8 movies - and this felt like it was the mega version of what doing,” he said in a telephone interview. Now the director of the series, Leterrier said it wasn’t only the story, but also the process, that drew him in. The influence of the original film’s hair-raising puppets was felt strongly by a young Louis Leterrier back in the 1980s. Like the “Star Wars” prequels, viewers will recognize Thra, but it’s shinier. That world is still filled with creatures like the peaceful, heroic, elf-like Gelflings the gardening, dirt-loving Podlings and the dog-like balls of rolling fur called Fizzgig. The Netflix series, which premieres Friday, is a prequel to the film, a way to see the magical world of Thra before it’s ruined by the Skeksis and their greed. “Now we’re living in a generation that has gone through so many iterations of fantasy films that have a darker side that I think ‘The Dark Crystal’s’ time has really come again.” ![]() Fear of the Skeksis is a common reaction to the original “Dark Crystal.” The initial feedback surprised Froud and the others, since they “didn’t even think about whether it was for children or adults.” But he knows the world has changed. “I know that when I was designing - specifically the Skeksis - Jim Henson and Frank Oz loved them, so they were just encouraging me to make them worse!” he added, referring to the villainous, vulture-like creatures who subjugate, and help to corrode, much of the world of Thra. “So a lot of my costuming and designs of characters were in shapes and forms to hide the puppeteers.” “Because it’s puppetry, a lot of what we do is disguise,” Froud said. Brian Froud, the primary concept artist and costumer on both the 1982 film “The Dark Crystal” and Netflix’s upcoming prequel series, “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,” remembers constant trickery on the set of the original.
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