The 1980s were not only the golden age of slashers, but they also saw a boom of weird and wonderful dark fantasy films. Among gems like Legend (1985), Labyrinth (1986), and Willow (1988), there was 1982’s The Dark Crystal. Jim Henson and Frank Oz set out to see the lengths practical effects and puppets could take storytelling, and the all-puppet fantasy epic that came of it was complex, ambitious, strange, dark, and breathtaking.

Two years ago, Netflix brought joy to many a muppet fans’ hearts when they announced a prequel series titled The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. But now it’s time to really get excited because we have a release date and new images from the show!

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will be coming to Netflix August 30th! The 10-episode series is set years before the original film. It follows three Gelfling, Ryan, Brea, and Deet, voiced by Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), and Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones). Here’s the official plot description:

The world of Thra is dying. The Crystal of Truth is at the heart of Thra, a source of untold power. But it is damaged, corrupted by the evil Skeksis, and a sickness spreads across the land. When three Gelfling uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis, an adventure unfolds as the fires of rebellion are lit and an epic battle for the planet begins

The series will follow in the footsteps of the original film by being entirely shot using practical effects and puppets. Director Louis Leterrier spoke of the challenges of the filming to Entertainment Weekly, saying, “It’s so complicated to build a puppet, hire puppeteers, all that stuff. We chose the long, hardest road and we’re very thankful [we did]. It looks absolutely stunning.” The gorgeous new stills promise the series will be just a beautiful and technically impressive as the original film.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance also boasts a massive, star-studded voice cast. Harvey Fierstein, Mark Hamill, Ralph Ineson, Jason Isaacs, Keegan-Michael Key, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Simon Pegg, Andy Samberg, Caitriona Balfe, Helena Bonham Carter, Harris Dickinson, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Toby Jones, Shazad Latif, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Strong, Alicia Vikander, and Donna Kimball will all be lending their considerable talents to the show. The series is a Jim Henson Company production with Jim Henson’s daughter, Lisa Henson, among the producing team. The puppets have been designed by and brought to life by the Jim Henson Creature Shop and the film’s original concept designer, Brian Froud!

The three suns seem aligned for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance to be an 80s fantasy fan’s dream come true! We just need to hold on until the series drops on August 30th.

Are you excited to revisit Thra and The Dark Crystal? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter, in our Official Subreddit, or in the Fiend Club Facebook Group! And keep up with all the latest news here at Nightmare on Film Street!