Puppets & Design Material From THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE To Go On View At Museum Of The Moving Image

Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI)-the only U.S. museum devoted to film, television, and digital media and home to a permanent exhibition exploring the work of Jim Henson-will present Creatures from the Land of Thra: Character Design for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The exhibit will explore the design process behind the series's fantastical characters, and will be on view September 11, 2019 through February 23, 2020, as part of the Museum's core exhibition Behind the Screen. It will feature puppets, maquettes, design material, and behind-the-scenes images from the new Netflix series that offers a prequel to the 1982 film co-directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz.

Among the puppets on view will be the Hunter Skeksis, the General Skeksis, a Fizzgig, and the All-Maudra and Seladon Gelflings. The exhibit will also feature a selection of concept art created by Brian Froud (who originated the world of Thra for the film The Dark Crystal); detailed maquettes, which were used as models for the characters; and behind-the-scenes images from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, which built the puppets for the series.

The ten-part Netflix series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, which premieres on August 30, pits Gelfling heroes against the nefarious Skeksis, as they attempt to save their world. The series is set many years before the story depicted by The Dark Crystal, and presents a greatly expanded world with many additional characters.

"As home to The Jim Henson Exhibition, we're especially proud to showcase some of the magnificent puppets featured in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and to highlight the deeply collaborative process behind their creation," says Barbara Miller, Director of Curatorial Affairs. "The new series will be treasured by devoted fans of The Dark Crystal, and will open this fantastical world to a new generation."

Access to Creatures from the Land of Thra: Character Design for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is included with general Museum admission, which also includes entry to The Jim Henson Exhibition. The exhibition, which opened in July 2017, reveals how Henson and his team of builders, performers, and writers brought to life the enduringly popular worlds of The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth. It also includes material from Henson's experimental film projects and his early work, presenting him as a restlessly creative performer, filmmaker, and technical innovator.

This summer, in anticipation of the new series, MoMI will present matinee screenings of The Dark Crystalfrom August 14 through 18, at 12:00 p.m. daily. For more information and tickets, visit movingimage.us/darkcrystal.

Special thanks to Netflix and The Jim Henson Company.

Image: A still from the The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance / courtesy of Netflix.