Spierig Brothers Quote

[JMPrater]

“We had been talking to Henson for quite a while and went in talking about different projects, they showed us some concept material for Dark Crystal and we absolutely flipped for it. It’s been such a big part of our childhood. They basically asked us if we were interested and we were like, are you kidding? It’s going to be our lives for a few years, maybe longer.”

“We wouldn’t attach ourselves to the material if it didn’t connect to our sensibilities,” Michael affirms. “To be honest, the first film is, when I was young, pretty scary stuff. This will certainly have scary elements to it. It’s not a horror film by any means, its just got a really solid mythology and solid idea. There are so many great characters. Great new characters and some of the favorites from the previous film will return. It’s not a remake. It’s a continuing story and we use the world of the first film to go further.”

[taken from http://ramascreen.com/spierig-bros-talk-power-of-the-dark-crystal/]

 

[JMPrater]

From another interview
PS: Our focus, yeah, our focus is on The Power of the Dark Crystal at the moment.

Which is an interesting project. It’s a property that has a cult following, we’re three decades late on a sequel, and there’s a noted style from Henson. Can you sell me on why a sequel needs to happen and if you’ll keep a similar Henson feel?

PS: Firstly, it’s not a remake; it is a sequel, so it’s a continuation of the story. There are the characters that originally existed in The Dark Crystal that are returning for this film. The story really expands the world, and you get a better sense of what the Dark Crystal means to the world of Thra and to the people.

You also get a sense to really explore the creature, the Gelflings and other different creatures that we didn’t really get a lot of time to explore. This is a completely immersive world, too. Because of the technology now we can expand it, and make it the epic that I know Jim Henson wanted to do back then.

The exciting thing is, speaking to Lisa Henson, that her dad was always pushing technology. Constantly trying to do the latest and greatest thing. I asked Lisa, if her dad was alive today, would he be trying to do what we’re trying to do: the combination of puppetry and CG and blending them together in a way that would be seamless, and she said, “He’d be right on the cutting edge of all of that. It’s what he was really all about.”

I think we’re really excited to take the Henson tradition and modern technology, and give audiences something they’ve never seen before with this world. And it’s going to be in 3D. I’m not jumping on the 3D bandwagon because the tickets are more expensive. I think the idea of being in this world, it’s the perfect film for 3D because it’s one of those consuming, immersive environments that you want to go into.

What benefits do you see with 3D? How can you utilize it to add to the film instead of being a gimmick?

PS: In this case, it’s going to a different world in the sense of Pandora or something like that where you feel like you’re there. Our intention is not to use 3D as a gimmick at all. I’m not interested in things flying at you. That’s not what we’re going to do at all. We’re more interested in making you feel like you’re actually there. That’s the idea.

I personally think that fantasy films are the best kind of films for 3D because it’s about building that world and being a part of it. There’s never been a puppet movie like this in 3D.

Does that frighten or excite you in any way? Trying to deliver something new?

PS: Yeah, I mean it’s both. It’s intimidating because what we’re trying to do, you can’t ask a lot of people about to get advice on. It’s a hard one because no one’s really done puppetry like this with CG. Where the Wild Things Are did a little bit of it, but to go as far as what we’re trying to do, it’s a big learning process.

It is a bit nerve-wracking, and Michael and I being such fans of the original, we don’t want to be known as the guys who ****** up the Dark Crystal movies.

[Laughs]

PS: Tarnishing the original. That’s the last thing we want. We feel that pressure, absolutely, but at the end of the day, we’re just going to make the best movie we can. That’s really all you can do.

Do you think you’ll do the effects on this one?

PS: Helllll, no.

[Laughs]

PS: ****, no. We can do Book 2 effects. This is like Book 7 effects. The amount of skill and talent it takes to do this stuff is just far beyond Michael and I. We could paint out wires and do things like that. Do some 3D stuff. But this is really on the cutting edge.

MS: Which is a good thing, because it means they won’t be asking us to do stuff.

And you’ll be challenging whoever it is just to see what they can do.

PS: Absolutely. Absolutely. Everybody’s so excited. A lot of the animators that are working on the movie are big fans of the original, so there’s a lot of motivation to get it right and do it to the highest possible standing.

 

[cabbageheat]

Well, they sound dedicated, and "appear"' to be heading in the right direction.

But you know.....I still don't get it.

TDC is just a great stand-a-lone movie, I see no need for sequels, prequels or anything else, yet I have the same desire as everyone else to see more of the universe, but still, at the same time, feel that adding to it, actually takes away from it.

its a strange paradox. And not having Jim (obviously) or even Frank Oz involved seems equally awkward. The Muppets haven't shined since Jim's death, and I can't see this film feeling or moving the same way without his influence. Its just....strange.

 

[Laszlo]

Thanks for the info! Great read.