Star Wars may not have had a presence at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, but Luke Skywalker himself showed up to promote his latest project. Mark Hamill put in a surprise appearance in Hall H during Netflix’s Dark Crystal panel on Friday. The actor talked about his personal connection to the beloved cult movie from Jim Henson.
Hamill saw the original ‘Dark Crystal’ with his kids
The Dark Crystal came out in 1982, and Hamill was among those who saw the fantasy film in the theater. “I took my kids to see it … what I loved about it was how daring and dark it was opposed to other (Henson) projects,” he recalled.
Now, Netflix is readying a 10-episode prequel to the original movie called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. And Hamill will appear in the series (which is directed by Louis Leterrier) along with Rocketman’s Taron Egerton, The Witch’s Anna Taylor-Joy, and Game of Thrones’s Nathalie Emmanuel.
“I never thought it would come back, when I saw the original,” Hamill said.
Here’s how Netflix describes the new show:
Based on The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s groundbreaking 1982 feature film, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance tells a new epic story, set many years before the events of the movie, and realized using classic puppetry with cutting edge visual effects. 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.
Hamill calls himself ‘the luckiest guy in the world’
During the Dark Crystal panel, San Diego Comic-Con organizers also presented Hamill with the 2019 Icon Award. The annual award is given to people or organizations who have been instrumental in bringing comics or the popular arts to a wider audience. Past recipients include Neil Gaiman, Matt Groening, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby.
“This seems wildly excessive, but it is much appreciated,” Hamill told the crowd when he accepted the award. He also spoke about his long history of being involved in comic conventions — “I started coming to these cons years before I met George. I was at the con when they said, ‘Did you hear? There’s 5,000 people this year.’ And we were like, ‘Wow! How many are women?’”
Now, Hamill says he feels incredibly fortunate to be able to do what he loves and get paid.
“To be able to do the things you loved as a kid … I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” the Child’s Play actor said. “I’m so grateful.”
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premieres August 30 on Netflix.
Read more: Everything We Know About ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ Series
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