The Abandoned Dark Crystal Sequel Is Being Turned Into a Comic Book

Fans of Jim Henson's 1982 fantasy film The Dark Crystal know a little something about patience. Though the movie didn't receive unanimous praise from critics or break box office records, its loyal cult fanbase has been hoping for a follow-up film for nearly 35 years. And it looks like all that waiting has paid off … kind of. Next year, The Dark Crystal will finally be getting a sequel, but it will take place on the pages of a comic book from Archaia Entertainment, Nerdist reports.

The 12-issue series—titled The Power of the Dark Crystal—is based on the actual screenplay for a now-abandoned movie sequel by David Odell, Annette Odell, and Craig Pearce. Writer Si Spurrier (X-Force) will handle this new script, as Kelly and Nichole Matthews (Toil and Trouble) take on the art duties. Not a whole lot is known about the book's plot, but Archaia and parent company Boom Studios did write up a brief taste of what's to come:

"Years have passed since the events of the original film, and though Jen and Kira have ruled Thra as King and Queen, bringing Gelfling back to the land, they have become distracted by power and can no longer feel or see the needs of the world the way they once did."

The Power of the Dark Crystal #1 will hit comic book store shelves on February 15, 2017, with a cover by Jae Lee (Batman/Superman) and June Chung (Birds of Prey).