1982’s The Dark Crystal is one of the most beloved cult films in history, as you would expect from a lavish fantasy co-directed by legends Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Fans had held out hope for years that a second installment would eventually be made, but it never managed to escape from development hell.
Luckily, Netflix and their bottomless supply of cash stepped in and announced in 2017 that sequel series Age of Resistance was in the works, and the end result was an acclaimed ten-episode run that spared no expense. Not only was The Incredible Hulk‘s Louis Leterrier hired to direct every episode, but a star-studded cast lent their vocal talents to the hotly-anticipated show.
Taron Egerton, Helena Bonham Carter, Jason Isaacs, Simon Pegg, Mark Hamill, Eddie Izzard, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Sigourney Weaver and many more played roles in Age of Resistance, and it appeared as though the streaming service had another major success on their hands. However, despite winning rave reviews from both critics and fans, the day after it won an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program, it was announced that The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance had been canceled, presumably because the viewing numbers didn’t reflect the investment on what looked to be a very expensive project.
Needless to say, the news hasn’t gone down particularly well, and you can check out some of the reactions below.
netflix: hey guys here's the dark crystal age of resistance hope you like it
critics: holy shit this is good
fans: holy shit this is good
emmys: here's a fukken award
netflix: it is with regret we cancel the show 😔
— Dan Entwistle garciansmith.bsky.social (@Garcian_Smith) September 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/lifeinpolaroid/status/1308147132306726912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1308147132306726912%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Ftv-shows%2Fnews%2Fdark-crystal-age-of-resistance-netflix-cancelled-reaction%2F
https://t.co/QWTm2oogrW pic.twitter.com/5YOr8bFgvM
— Emma Fyffe (@EmmaFyffe) September 21, 2020
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO https://t.co/JyBt7OQnrn
— Damian Holbrook (@damianholbrook) September 21, 2020
:deep breath:
***NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOoooooOOOOO!!!!!***
so literally the skeksis win and everyone we met dies. that's the story you chose to tell, @netflix. Shame shame shame shame on you. https://t.co/NRATxwS66x
— Allison Keene (@keeneTV) September 21, 2020
RIP Dark Crystal pic.twitter.com/oL5Y6VC5wA
— Charlie Schneider (@AwesomEmergency) September 21, 2020
this wasn't a perfect show BUT it had some very magical qualities and great storytelling and was clearly a set up for second season and this is a huge huge bummer https://t.co/41uVPjpRq4
— Kim Renfro (@kimrrenfro) September 21, 2020
ANYWAY, here's a fucking show about a nurse from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest THAT LITERALLY NO ONE FUCKING ASKED FOR but okay let's cancel The Dark Crystal. COOL COOL COOL COOL COOL COOL COOL https://t.co/0ApVLm3MiL
— Brandon Hunt (@mediavandal) September 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/durianbouquet/status/1308145096261537792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1308145096261537792%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Ftv-shows%2Fnews%2Fdark-crystal-age-of-resistance-netflix-cancelled-reaction%2F
Booooooo!! No second season for us as the critically acclaimed follow up to The Dark Crystal has been cancelled by Netflix!! pic.twitter.com/Qyq9c7RsiE
— Hacked2Pieces (@Hacked2P) September 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/nvr2heaven/status/1308149298698354689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1308149298698354689%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Ftv-shows%2Fnews%2Fdark-crystal-age-of-resistance-netflix-cancelled-reaction%2F
Netflix has canceled a higher number of shows than usual in 2020 in an effort to cut costs amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, but The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was a surprising choice. As the long-awaited follow-up to a popular movie with a built-in audience, all of the ingredients seemed to be in place for a sustained run of thrilling puppet-based adventures. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
