The (old) new world of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is revealed in new video

In the original Dark Crystal movie, the elf-like Gelflings had been all but wiped out by the cruel Skesis – but in the prequel series there’s a “rich and prosperous” Gelfling civilisation, fuelled by multiple clans and ruled over by the (seemingly) benevolent Skeksis.

In the film, the Gelfling civilisation was only teased by some engravings found by survivors Jen and Kira, but the new series will show that world in its full glory – as well as the moment when it all became at risk when the Gelflings rebelled against their Skesis overlords.

“They look up to the Skeksis – the Skeksis are these benevolent leaders,” Jeffrey Addis, the new series’ writer Jeffrey Addiss says in the footage.

“They are the Lords of the Crystal. And our show is the moment the Gelflings start to say, ‘Maybe they aren’t so great.’”

Of course, we know that didn’t go so well for the Gelflings in the end – but even knowing where the story goes doesn’t mean it can’t be full of surprises, star Egerton, who plays hero Rian, argues.

“What fans of the Dark Crystal want is, they want an odyssey,” he concludes. “They want a saga. They want something to enrich the universe of the original film, and that’s what this universe does.

“You could put them side by side and it is the same world. There’s just so much more of it to explore."

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premieres on Netflix on August 30