The Spierig Brothers replace Genndy Tartakovsky on the long-awaited Henson sequel… and it’s going to be 3D!
The Dark Crystal is sequel is finally underway. After years of rumours and false starts, The Power Of The Dark Crystal is now ready to swing into production in Australia, with (unlikely as it may seem) Daybreakers and Undead directing team the Spierig Brothers, Michael and Peter, calling the shots.
The announcement was made today in a joint press release from The Henson Company and Omnilab Media which are combining forces to produce the film, which will be made in Australia and released in stereoscopic 3D.
The screenplay has been written by Australian Craig Pearce ( Moulin Rouge! , Strictly Ballroom ) based on an original script by Annette Duffy and David Odell. Legendary fantasy artist Brian Froud will reprise his role as conceptual designer of the film, which will use a mix of live action and traditional puppetry combined with visual and special effects produced entirely in Australia. Omnilab-affiliated Iloura ( Where the Wild Things Are , The Pacific , Don't Be Afraid of the Dark) has already begun work on the film's CGI.
For a long while, when the film was in development Hell, the genius behind the 2D Clone Wars cartoon series, Genndy Tartakovsky, was connected to the project as director, but the press release makes no mention of his involvement. The choice is the Spierig Brothers to direct, though, is an equally brave move, but they certain made vampire flick Daybreakers a lot better than anybody expected.
Set hundreds of years after the events of the 1982 original, the sequel is set at a time when the world has once again fallen into darkness. Power Of The Dark Crystal follows the adventures of a mysterious girl made of fire who, together with a Gelfling outcast, steals a shard of the legendary Crystal in an attempt to reignite the dying sun that exists at the centre of the planet.
