“The Dark crystal” is just… odd. Ain’t no gettin’ past that. It’s sufficiently odd that I’ve always been amazed that it got greenlit and released way back in 1982 (yay! 35 years ago! I feel old yet again!!!!!). in the decades (sigh…)since, there have been numerous rumors of a sequel movie, but nothing ever came to pass. Now, though, it looks like Netflix is busily working away on a *prequel* series.
Reportedly, they’re doing it right… practical effects & puppets, with just a smidgeon of CGI. It might be easier to do the whole thing CGI… and that would make the series immediately forgettable. If they are true to the original, this could end up being a hell of a thing.
Interestingly: “Dark Crystal” could have been even more bizarre. As originally shot, the Skeksis didn’t speak English, but their own language, with subtitles. But apparently test audiences didn’t care for that, so they were re-dubbed into English. Not long after, Reverend Jim was speaking Klingon for good stretches of Star Trek III, and quite a bit after, the Elves and Orks were babbling away in their own languages, proving that audiences really didn’t have a problem with fantasy characters speaking fantasy languages.
As a child of the 80’s… I approve.