The Dark Crystal

This article is about the 1982 feature film. For the 2019 Netflix series, see The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. For the 1983 video game, see The Dark Crystal (video game).

The Dark Crystal
Theatrical release poster by Richard Amsel
Directed by
Screenplay byDavid Odell
Story byJim Henson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyOswald Morris
Edited byRalph Kemplen
Music byTrevor Jones
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • December 13, 1982 (1982-12-13) (New York City)
  • December 17, 1982 (1982-12-17) (United States)
  • February 17, 1983 (1983-02-17) (United Kingdom)
Running time
93 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million[4] or £25 million[5]
Box office$41.4 million[6]

The Dark Crystal is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company and distributed by Universal Pictures. The plot revolves around Jen and Kira, two Gelflings on a quest to restore balance to the world of Thra and overthrow the evil, ruling Skeksis by restoring a powerful broken Crystal.

It was marketed as a family film, but was notably darker than the creators' previous material. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking for the time, with most creatures, like the Gelflings, requiring around four puppeteers to achieve full manipulation. The primary concept artist was fantasy illustrator Brian Froud, famous for his distinctive fairy and dwarf designs. Froud also collaborated with Henson on the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth.

The Dark Crystal was produced by Gary Kurtz, while the screenplay was written by David Odell, with whom Henson previously worked as a staff writer for The Muppet Show. The film score was composed by Trevor Jones. The film initially received mixed reviews from mainstream critics; while being criticized for its darker, more dramatic tone in contrast to Henson's previous works, it was praised for its narrative, aesthetic, and characters. Over the years, it has been re-evaluated by critics and has garnered a cult following.[7]

An Emmy Award-winning prequel television series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, premiered on Netflix in 2019 and lasted for one season.

  1. ^ Jay Jones, Brian (2013). "Chapter 12: Twists and Turns". Jim Henson: The Biography. Ballantine Books (Random House). pp. 374–375. ISBN 978-0345526113.
  2. ^ a b "The Dark Crystal". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  3. ^ "The Dark Crystal (A)". British Board of Film Classification. November 3, 1982. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  4. ^ "The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History" (September 19, 2017)
  5. ^ BRITISH PRODUCTION 1981 Moses, Antoinette. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 51, Iss. 4, (Fall 1982): 258.
  6. ^ "The Dark Crystal (1982)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 4, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cult was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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