The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Timing: 1:33 (93 min)

7.13/10
1242

6.989/10
3470

7.1/10
77000

All about film

Video 22

Photo 78

Actors and characters

Release date

1982-12-17

Country

United Kingdom, United States

Production

Universal Pictures, ITC Entertainment, Henson Associates, Inc., Associated Film Distribution

Genre

Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Budget

$15 000 000

Revenue

$44 626 631

Website

Director

Frank Oz, Jim Henson

Actors

Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, Brian Meehl, Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Gary Kurtz, Jim Henson, David Lazer, Lew Grade

Operator

Oswald Morris

Composer

Trevor Jones

Artist

Katharina Kubrick

Audition

Editing

Ralph Kemplen
All team (30)

• The film shows 9 of them, but originally, each Skeksis was based on a deadly sin.
• The film was banned in some Islamic countries. All dubbed copies of the film in Persian and Arabic were destroyed.
• The Garthim costumes were so heavy that performers had to rest every few minutes without removing them.
• Illustrator Brian Froud dedicated 5 years of his life to working on the project.
• Jim Henson (1936-1990) originally named the world where the plot unfolds "Mitra." When someone mentioned in his presence that the name sounded like that of a Persian deity, it was changed to "Nitra," and then to "Tru" altogether. In any case, the name of the world is not mentioned once in the film.
• Initially, it was planned that the Skeksis and Mystics would speak their own languages. Screenwriter David Odell even invented lines and entire monologues for the actors. Eventually, this idea was abandoned. After the first screening, science fiction writer Alan Gardner was invited to the project to write an introductory text. After that, Odell had to "translate" what he had written back into English, and also ensure that the characters' lip movements matched on screen.
• Initially, Jim Henson asked Brian Froud to make the Skeksis creatures resembling crocodiles and living in a castle.
• Talented little people actors Mike Edmonds, Deep Roy, Jack Purvis, Malcolm Dixon, and others participated in the work on the film.
• The prototype for the Urgru was a witch from ancient Greek mythology.
• Jim Henson (1936-1990) named the world where the plot unfolds "Mitra." When someone mentioned in his presence that the name sounded like that of a Persian deity, it was changed to "Nitra," and then to "Thra" altogether. In any case, the name of the world is never mentioned in the film.
• Initially, it was planned that the Skeksis and Mystics would speak their own languages. Screenwriter David Odell even invented lines and entire monologues for the actors. Eventually, this idea was abandoned. After the first viewing, science fiction writer Alan Garner was invited to the project to write an introductory text. After that, Odell had to “translate” what he had written back into English, and also ensure that the characters’ lip movements matched on screen.