FILM · 1982 · UK
The Dark Crystal
27 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
27 Interesting Facts About The Dark Crystal
Interesting Facts (21)
- #001
Jim Henson's plan for The Dark Crystal was to return to the darkness of the original Brothers Grimm tales. He felt that children enjoyed the idea of being scared and that it was a healthy emotion for them to deal with.
- #002
At the time of its release, The Dark Crystal was hailed as the only live-action film with no human characters. Apart from some wide shots of the Gelflings, it was to be the first live-action film featuring no humans at all.
- #003
Conceptual designer Brian Froud was behind the look and feel of nearly every aspect of the production, from the creatures and landscapes to the typeface of the opening title. In total, it took five years of his life.
- #004
After a disastrous preview screening in San Francisco, California, Jim Henson personally cut twenty minutes from The Dark Crystal. He also ordered most of the character voices to be re-recorded in order to remove some of the invented character languages, which made the film more accessible and the plot easier to follow.
- #005
The name Jim Henson came up with for the planet on which The Dark Crystal is set was "Mithra". When some felt it resembled a Persian deity too closely, the name was changed to "Nithra" and finally shortened to "Thra". Although it is never spoken in the film, it is widely used in the later sequel novels and in the series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019).
- #006
Concept artist Brian Froud and puppet designer Wendy Midener met on the set of The Dark Crystal and later married. Their son, Toby Froud, would work as a designer on the prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) 37 years later.
- #007
Brian Froud's fondness for lobsters led to many crustacean touches in the design of The Dark Crystal, particularly in the design of the Skeksis' servants, the Garthim.
- #008
The Garthim costumes were so heavy that they had to be hung on a rack every five minutes so the performers could rest without wearing them.
- #009
The language invented by the Podlings in the film and the animal-speaking character Kira actually contain many Croatian/Serbian/Bosnian words. They are badly pronounced but easily understood: "Hvala vam", "dobro", "dodji", "dolje" and others. They are not placed at random either, but used appropriately to the situations. The first thing Kira says to Jen is "Kto vy? Otkuda?", meaning "Who are you? Where are you from?"
- #010
While the Chamberlain and the Garthim Master competed for the title of Emperor, each was backed by two other Skeksis. The Chamberlain had the Designer and the Gourmand supporting him, and the Garthim Master had the support of the Scientist and the Slave Master. In the finished film these rival groups can still be made out during the Hakskeekah ritual. In addition, there was to be a third Skeksis competing for the throne: the Ritual Master, whose supporters were the Treasurer and the Historian. These three remain more or less neutral throughout the scene.
- #011
The Gelfling Jen was originally meant to be blue as a mark of respect for the Hindu god Rama.
- #012
The Dark Crystal was banned in many Muslim and Islamic countries on the grounds that its content was contrary to religion. Every Arabic-dubbed and Persian-dubbed copy was destroyed by censors.
- #013
The small furry creatures that crawl over the surface and are eaten by the Creatures are modified wind-up toy robots that run madly on two legs, with a round, rolling central body housing the clockwork motor. The wind-up key could be removed.
- #014
Executive producer Sir Lew Grade sold the company ITC Film Entertainment to businessman Robert Holmes à Court, who had no confidence in the finished product because of poor test screenings. As Holmes à Court seemed likely to throw The Dark Crystal away, Jim Henson bought the property back and financed the film's release.
- #015
The Landstriders were originally designed as "Landspiders," and several brainstorming sessions were held to decide how best to create and perform such a creature. When Robbie Barnett first proposed using stilts to create the Landstriders' appearance, each creature was to be performed by two puppeteers, giving it a total of six legs: two long front and middle extensions (the performer in front) and two short extensions at the back (the second performer). This idea was soon set aside as too difficult, and four legs were settled on.
- #016
Aughra's original name was "Habeetabat." Although Jim Henson and screenwriter David Odell liked the name, Brian Froud did not care for it much. Froud's early concept drawings turned the character into a giant-like figure, so for a time she was renamed "Ogra," and eventually "Aughra" was settled on.
- #017
Two other actresses were considered for Aughra's voice. The first had to withdraw and was never recorded. The second choice can be heard in the leaked "Director's Cut," but test audiences found her too difficult to understand. The third choice, Billie Whitelaw, finally recorded the version heard in the film.
- #018
Co-directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz were responsible for every aspect of this film, but according to Henson his strengths lay in creating camera shots and movement, while Oz was better suited to character development and the dynamics of a scene.
- #019
The mechanical eye of the scientist skekTek was built using the cockpit of a Star Wars TIE fighter as a model.
- #020
The Ritual Master skekZok was inspired by Rasputin, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Bishop Sheen and Erich von Stroheim, and has robes and relics reminiscent of those seen in the Soviet film Ivan the Terrible and the Russian opera Boris Godunov.
- #021
Jim Henson offered 22-year-old puppeteer Kevin Clash work on this film, but Clash had to turn down the offer because he was busy with Captain Kangaroo (1955) and The Great Space Coaster (1981). Clash nonetheless later became a regular member of Henson's puppeteer team and appeared in various productions, most notably as Elmo in Sesame Street media. He would later work as a puppeteer on the film's prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019).
Production Story (1)
- #022
In his autobiography, Bernie Brillstein states that Jim Henson initially did not want to license merchandise for the children's show Sesame Street (1969). He advised Jim Henson that the money could be used for projects he was passionate about. Years later, when Bernie Brillstein objected to The Dark Crystal's rising budget, Henson reminded Brillstein of his own advice.
Easter Eggs & References (2)
- #023
The Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray include several "workprint" shots showing early passes at the dialogue. This early voice work differs from the final dialogue in several respects: the Skeksis speak their own language, Frank Oz voices Aughra (sounding much like his vocal performance as Yoda in the Star Wars films), and the Mystics are (probably) referred to by their original name, ur-Ru. The novelization apparently was based on this earlier version, referring to the "Trial By Stone" contest by its original name "Hakskeekah" and calling the Mystics ur-Ru. A reference to ur-Ru in the final film was not re-recorded: when the Mystics enter the Skeksis Great Hall (SkekOk), the Scroll Keeper sees them and shouts "Ur-Ru!" The Mystics are also called ur-Ru in the German-dubbed version. The producers' decision to rename them came too late for the German dialogue track, which was already in production at the time.
- #024
A. C. H. Smith's novelization includes several scenes in which the Skeksis are accompanied by a choir of Podling slaves who sing for them. Although this slave choir is not heard in the opening scene, it can be seen in the background. In the series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019), a group of Podling musicians can be seen playing an organ for the Skeksis at their request.
Deeper Meaning (3)
- #025
Although there are nine of them, the Skeksis were initially based on the seven deadly sins. SkekShod represented greed, skekSil envy, skekAyuk gluttony and sloth, skekEkt lust, skekZok pride and skekUng wrath. The two outliers were skekNa and skekTek.
- #026
In February 1978, Jim Henson and his daughter Cheryl found themselves stranded in an airport hotel when a snowstorm hit Kennedy Airport. They worked out the details of The Dark Crystal's world on a large number of hotel notepads. The notes became the inspiration for a script. Serious work on the film did not begin until 1979, after the completion of The Muppet Movie (1979), which was shot in Los Angeles, California. The Dark Crystal was shot back to back with The Great Muppet Caper (1981) in England.
- #027
According to designer Brian Froud, the symbol on the staff of the dying Skeksis Emperor is a perverted or broken version of the Ouroboros. Early in the film, a similar symbol, though a softer version, appears in the background of the dying Mystic Master's hut, indicating the connection between the Mystic Master and the Skeksis Emperor.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- IMDb
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