Netflix unveiled some brand-new footage from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance during the show’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. The upcoming series is a prequel that takes place long before the events of directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s 1982 cult classic fantasy film, The Dark Crystal, and follows a group of noble Gelflings who lead a rebellion against the horrifying creatures known as Skeksis.

Directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, Now You See Me), Age of Resistance boasts an all-star cast that includes Anya Taylor-Joy (Split), Taron Egerton (Rocketman), and Nathalie Emmanuel (The Fate of the Furious) as the voices for the Gelfling heroes Brea, Rian, and Deet. Other key players include Emmanuel’s Game of Thrones costar Lena Headey as Maudra Fara - the leader of Rian’s clan - and Simon Pegg and Mark Hamill as the Skeksis Chamberlain and The Scientist. Suffice it to say, Netflix and the Jim Henson Company have packed Age of Resistance with big talent on both sides of the camera, in the hopes that it will launch The Dark Crystal brand to newfound heights of popularity.

Age of Resistance even got its own Hall H panel at this year’s SDCC, ahead of its premiere on Netflix in late August. The presentation included a Q&A with Leterrier, Egerton, Hamill, and producer Lisa Henson, followed by a screening of the series’ very first episode. Netflix has since dropped a behind the scenes preview that includes lots of brand-new footage from Age of Resistance, to go with the new poster that released earlier this week. You can check them out in the space below.

Where the Age of Resistance teaser trailer highlighted the world of Thra and the broader strokes of the prequel’s narrative, this new video zeroes in on the sheer craftsmanship and attention to detail that the show’s crew poured into bringing The Dark Crystal’s settings back to life, but at the same time making them even more impressive and imaginatively designed than ever before. It’s been confirmed for some time that Age of Resistance relies on old-fashioned puppetry to portray its various characters, so this behind the scenes featurette only further highlights the elaborate sets that had to be constructed in order to make that possible. Judging by the early footage, though, the final result looks to be well-worth the effort, as far as the visuals are concerned.

Reactions to the first show’s first episode have been positive too, with many of those who’re in Hall H praising its meticulous world-building and setting of the stage for the greater adventure to come. The show’s characters also sound as good as they look so far, thanks to Age of Resistance’s deep pool of voice-acting talent. Hamill even offered those at SDCC an early taste of his voice as the villainous Scientist from the show, and it was just as deliciously repulsive as one could hope for.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance begins streaming Friday, August 30 on Netflix.

Source: Netflix