Getting ready to dive into Netflix’s The Dark Crystal? Here are 5 things you should know first!

1. It’s a prequel to the original movie.

In the original film, a young Gelfling must stop the evil Skeksis, who use the powers of the Dark Crystal to live forever. Age of Resistance charts how the Skeksis came to harness this power, and how a group of young Gelfling rebels set the groundwork for the film plot. It also deepens the world that the Gelfling’s and Skeksis’ inhabit, first seen in the cult classic film.

2. It’s got a truly wild cast.

Seriously. This cast is chock full of famous people, playing all sorts of roles. The main characters are played by Taron Egerton from Kingsman and Rocketman, Anya Taylor-Joy from Split, and Natalie Emmanuel from Game of Thrones. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The show also stars Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill; Helena Bonham-Carter and Jason Isaacs – AKA Bellatrix Lestrange and Luscious Malfoy; SNL’s own Andy Samberg and Bill Hader, and Crazy Rich Asians breakout Awkwafina. And that’s just some of the truly massive voice talent.

3. It’s been called Game of Thrones with puppets.

If the end of Game of Thrones has you longing for a sprawling fantasy epic with family drama and political intrigue, look no further – CNET, GameSpot, and Newsweek all compare Age of Resistance to HBO’s recently wrapped up series. As if to cement it, Age of Resistance even brings in two of Game of Thrones’ heavy hitters for voices — Lena Heady and Natalie Dormer, AKA Queen Cersei and Margery Tyrell. See? We were really not kidding about that cast.

4. It’s been a long time in the making.

And by long we mean decades long. The original Dark Crystal came out in 1982, and was a major passion project for everyone involved – particularly Jim Henson himself. There were many failed attempts to expand the Dark Crystal universe, most notably several tries at a sequel – first in 2006, and then in 2011, both of which fell through. The Henson Company began considering a TV series around 2014, and by 2017 had signed on Netflix as a partner. And even then, development took two full years to wrap. Making sets and puppets as intricate as the ones in Age of Resistance is no easy task!

5. There are already Dark Crystal prequel books – and more books are coming!

In 2013 the Jim Henson Company and Penguin teamed up to host a contest to find an author for brand new Dark Crystal prequel novels. The winning author, J.M. Lee, wrote four books that take place concurrently with Age of Resistance. The books – Shadows of the Dark Crystal, Song of the Dark Crystal, Tides of the Dark Crystal, and the just released Flames of the Dark Crystal – follow a different plot, but there’s tons of overlap, with the book characters actually appearing in the TV series! JM Lee even went on to write for the TV show! If you want a deep dive into the world of Dark Crystal, the books are the perfect place to start. Plus, there are even more books coming down the line, with direct TV tie-ins releasing in November of 2019. GET READY!

Looking for more amazing reads? Check out what’s hitting shelves this month!