The Dark Crystal

Story

Set on the alien planet of Thra, the story follows Jen, a young Gelfling who sets out on a quest to ‘heal’ the dark crystal by finding the lost shard and save the planet from the rule of the evil Skeksis.

Why we chose it

Featuring state of the art puppets and special visual effects, the film was billed as the first live-action film without any human beings on screen.

Where it came from

The director, Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets), wished to create a fantasy world of good and evil and was inspired by The Land of Froud, a collection of drawings by English fantasy illustrator, Brian Froud.

Where it went next

The film garnered a cult following among fantasy and muppet fans. In 2019 Netflix released a tv series prequel to the film – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Associated stories

There are a number of books that expand on the world of Thra including: a novelization, based on the script and production material for the film by ACH Smith; a three-volume saga Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal by Simon Spurrier; a three-volume series Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths by Brian Holguin; illustrated tales for younger readers Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal Tales by Cory Godby; a young adult novel series Shadows of the Dark Crystal by JM Lee; and a fun, interactive storybook Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: A Discovery Adventure by Anne Marcellino.