In the age of streaming, it’s harder than ever for some shows to get a long runway, even if it makes certain more expensive projects possible. One such show that failed to stick for more seasonsand arguably deserved betterwasThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the prequel series toJim Henson’s 1982 cult classicThe Dark Crystal. Released on Netflix in 2019, the series followed three young Gelflings, Rian, Brea, and Deet, who become the leaders of a rebellion against the tyrannical Skeksis after discovering the threat their plans pose to the planet Thra. Between a high $97.7 million reported budget and the fact that it was already a more niche series, itwas swiftly cancelleddespite widespread acclaim and an Emmy win. Among those disappointed by the loss was writerSimon Racioppa, who emphasized the team still had a lot of ideas left to explore.
Collider’sAidan Kelleyspoke to Racioppa on the red carpet for theInvincibleSeason 3 premiere where he broached the topic ofAge of Resistanceand what exactly the writer wishes could have been explored further if the show had been renewed. Theworld of Thra is vastand, while the first and only season ended with a fairly definitive conclusion, there were still opportunities left open to dig deeper. There were still dynamics between the Gelfling clans to further flesh out and there was still more ground to cover to show how the planet got to the state seen in the original movie. At the time, showrunners and executive producersWill MatthewsandJeffrey Addissshared thatthey had a concrete plan for Season 2as well as other ideas that would bring them closer to Henson’s original.
On the one hand, Racioppa is happy that a show likeAge of Resistancesaw the light of day at all, given all the time, effort, and money it took tore-explore a cult classicthat wasn’t immediately recognizable to a wide audience. However, he still can’t help but wonder what if the series had a longer leash, and he got another chance to write alongside Matthews and Addiss. He teased what could’ve been, namely with the Gelfling clans, andreflected on his time working with Matthews, Addiss, and the Hensons, saying:
“Oh my god, I mean…I’m glad we got to do one season because a lot of shows just don’t get to exist at all, so I’m happy we got to do that. Man,we had so many different plans for all the different clans of Gelflingswe were gonna unveil. We had this… yeah, there’s so much more I wish we could’ve got to do with that show. Will Matthews and Jeff Addiss, who are the two co-EPs on that show, just did such a great job bringing it to life. Yeah, I’m privileged to work with the Hensons on that too, so… alas.”
‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ Brought Together a Rebellion of Stars
Part of what made the prequel series so successful, in addition to building on the world Henson created, is the star power behind each of the Gelflings and Skeksis seen on-screen. The main trio of Rian, Brea, and Deet were voiced byTaron Egerton,Anya Taylor-Joy, andNathalie Emmanuelrespectively, with the rest of the cast featuring appearances from,Gugu Mbatha-Raw,Caitríona Balfe,Harris Dickinson,Mark Strong,Hannah John-Kamen,Helena Bonham Carter,Jason Isaacs,Simon Pegg,Benedict Wong,Mark Hamill,Awkwafina,Ralph Ineson, and many more. On top of everything,Fast XdirectorLouis Leterrierdirected the special effects-heavy series. Getting that band back together would no doubt be a challenge, but Racioppa would be glad to get another shot if Netflix one day decided to revive it. “Maybe it will come back, who knows?Maybe in the future, we’ll get to do a second seasonor something.”
All episodes ofThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistanceare now streaming on Netflix. Racioppa has since taken up showrunning duties onInvincible, which begins airing its third season with three episodes on Prime Video on Thursday, February 6.
