Line #36 Trivia/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance


1	For the trivia of ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'', see [[Trivia/TheDarkCrystal here]].
2	----
3	* AcclaimedFlop: The reason for the series only getting one season. While Netflix doesn't release viewing numbers, the execs described the show as an "expensive disappointment" with its ratings not coming close to justifying the massive production costs and length (it was reportedly the longest shoot of ''any'' Netflix show). Despite the universal acclaim it received, the show was thus cancelled. The produced season was reported to have cost north of $100 million, by comparison the first season of ''Series/{{The Witcher\|2019}}'' from the same year cost $70-$80 million to produce, drew in way more audience and got renewed for further seasons.
4	* AllStarCast: Take a deep breath:
5	** Creator/TaronEgerton, Creator/NathalieEmmanuel, Creator/AnyaTaylorJoy, Creator/HarrisDickinson, Creator/NatalieDormer, Creator/AliciaVikander, Creator/LenaHeadey, Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter, Creator/MarkStrong, Creator/HannahJohnKamen, Creator/EddieIzzard, Creator/GuguMbathaRaw, Creator/TobyJones, Creator/CaitrionaBalfe and Creator/TheoJames for the Gelflings.
6	** Creator/JasonIsaacs, Creator/SimonPegg, Creator/BenedictWong, Creator/MarkHamill, Creator/KeeganMichaelKey, Creator/RalphIneson, Creator/{{Awkwafina}} and Creator/AndySamberg for the Skeksis.
7	** And, last but not least, Creator/SigourneyWeaver as the Myth-Speaker.
8	* {{Cancellation}}: Netflix cancelled the show shortly after it received an Emmy for Best Children's Program. Lisa Henson however suggested that there are other ways to continue the story.
9	* CastingGag: Taron Egerton (Rian) first broke into public consciousness via the SleeperHit franchise ''Film/{{Kingsman}}'', wherein Mark Strong (Ordon) plays Merlin, who is widely agreed upon to be a father figure to Egerton's character Eggsy. Now, they actually voice father and son. Additionally, Harris Dickinson (Rian's best friend Gurjin) played a World War I era Kingsman agent in ''Film/TheKingsMan''.
10	* CelebrityVoiceActor: Most of the series' [[AllStarCast All Star voice cast]] is made of celebrities who usually don't do a lot of voice acting, bar a few exceptions like Mark Hamill.
11	* LoopingLines: As in the film, only a handful of characters are voiced by their puppeteers. Amusingly, Louise Gold and Dave Goelz, the only performers from the original film to return, voice-act in the series when they didn't in the film.
12	* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: There was a contest about designing an original small woodland creature to be included in the series.
13	* TheOtherDarrin: Regarding the Skeksis who appeared in both the 1982 film and the series, as well as Aughra. Some of the original puppeteers and voice actors from the film have passed away (Creator/JimHenson, Jerry Nelson, Creator/BarryDennen, David Buck, Creator/BillieWhitelaw), others have retired (except [[Creator/MuppetPerformers Dave Goelz and Louise Gold]]). New puppeteers and voice actors took their place. Nonetheless, many of the actors did a ''superb'' job recreating the original voices. ''Especially'' for Aughra and the Chamberlain.
14	** Donna Kimball replaces Billie Whitelaw (who passed away from pneumonia in 2014) as the voice of Aughra.
15	** Creator/JasonIsaacs replaces Jerry Nelson (who died of emphysema in 2012) as the voice of the Emperor.
16	** Creator/SimonPegg replaces Barry Dennen (who suffered a fatal brain injury in 2017) as the voice of the Chamberlain.
17	** Creator/KeeganMichaelKey replaces Jerry Nelson as the voice of the Ritual Master.
18	** Creator/MarkHamill replaces Steve Whitmire as the voice of the Scientist.
19	** Harvey Fierstein replaces Thick Wilson as the voice of the Gourmand.
20	** Alice Dinnean replaces Brian Muehl as the voice of the Ornamentalist.
21	** Neil Sterenberg replaces John Baddeley as the voice of the Scroll Keeper.
22	* PermanentPlaceholder: Alice Dinnean was skekEkt's puppeteer and since her lines were meant to be dubbed over by a professional voice actor later, decided to just have fun with the voice. Her hilariously hammy performance went over so well that they ended up just keeping her.
23	* PlayingAgainstType:
24	** Creator/KeeganMichaelKey, best known for his comedic roles, voices the menacing Ritual Master here.
25	** Kevin Clash is well known for performing the childish, adorable and all-loving Elmo in ''Series/SesameStreet''. Here he performed the quick-tempered General, the brutal and vicious Hunter, and the old, wise and motherly Aughra. Though in a weird coincidence, Elmo and Aughra are both [[ThirdPersonPerson Third-Person People]].
26	** Similarly, comedian Creator/{{Awkwafina}} as the especially disgusting Collector.
27	** In what very much comes off as a deliberate CastingGag, Creator/LenaHeadey plays a rebel against a power-hungry queen, like she played herself in ''Series/GameOfThrones''.
28	** Bill Hader is known for playing hyperactive, loud, and snarky characters, such as [[WesternAnimation/InsideOut Fear]], [[WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs Flint Lockwood]], and [[WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet J.P. Spamly.]] This is heavily contrasted when he plays slow and quiet urGoh the Wanderer.
29	* PromotedFanboy:
30	** Director Louis Leterrier is a big fan of ''The Dark Crystal'' since his childhood, so much so that it motivated him to become a filmmaker. Then, one day, he got to direct ''Age of Resistance''.
31	** In the behind-the-scenes video Creator/SimonPegg, Creator/TaronEgerton and Creator/NatalieDormer reveal they are big fans of the original film and were euphoric over being in the prequel series. Pegg watched the film when it premiered in theaters. Egerton was very familiar with ExpandedUniverse material and actually asked the writers if they planned on using Raunip from ''Creation Myths''.
32	* TroubledProduction: Director Creator/LouisLeterrier admitted that working on the series was quite grueling, due to using puppetry techniques similar to those of ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' in order to stay true to the original work of Creator/JimHenson and his team, when CGI would have made things ''much'' easier. Digital effects are used mainly to do effects that would be impossible with practical means and hide the puppeteers.
33	* RefittedForSequel:
34	** Refitted for ''prequel'', that is. Lots of Creator/BrianFroud designs were unused in the 1982 film, and they ended up being used in the series decades later. They include the small creature who's corrupted by the Darkening and dies in Aughra's hands then gets resurrected by Thra.
35	** Deet's name might come from the name the character of Kira was originally intended to have, "Dee".
36	* RoleReprise: Two performers from the original film return:
37	** ''[[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppets]]'' veteran Louise Gold, in addition to many other puppetry duties including being both the puppeteer and voice actor for Maudra Argot, puppeteers the same character she did in the original film, [=SkekAyuk=] the Gourmand.
38	** One of the now-legendary Creator/MuppetPerformers, Dave Goelz, has a cameo which amounts to a ''spiritual'' role reprisal: having puppeteered the original Fizzgig, he provides the puppetry and vocal effects for Maudra Fara's Fizzgig, Baffi.
39	* SequelGap: Well, ''prequel'' gap, and a huge one at that. The series came out 37 years after ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' was released.
40	* SequelInAnotherMedium: The original was a theatrically released film, this one is a ''prequel'' streaming series.
41	* SimilarlyNamedWorks: To the ''Franchise/StarWars'' Creator/MarvelComics series ''ComicBook/StarWarsAgeOfResistance''. Doesn't help that they were both released in 2019.
42	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
43	** The series was initially pitched to Netflix as an animated project before they requested it be done with puppets.
44	** Pre-production test footage from 2016 shows a fully CGI, female gelfling interacting with and running away from a puppet skeksis scientist. This idea was abandoned due to the creators feeling that the fully CG gelfing was incongruous with the live-action physicality of the puppet creatures.
45	** In the original pilot script the Skeksis had a MyGodWhatHaveIDone reaction to [[spoiler:Mira's]] death, showing their last vestige of decency before their desire for immortality ripped it away. Some elements of this do remain in the actual episode.
46	** Lisa Maxwell, the voice actress for Kira in the original movie, was the original narrator for the first episode before being replaced by Sigourney Weaver.
47	* WordOfGay: No trace of any relationship between Tavra and Onica (which exists in the YA novels written in the years preceeding the series) made it into the series, beyond Tavra repeating Onica's name in surprise when Brea mentions her.

Context Trivia / TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance