In December, 1982, Jim Henson introduced the world to Thra in his dark fantasy epic The Dark Crystal. While the film was not a major success with critics and audiences upon its premiere, the film has since grown a large cult following thanks to the rise of home media. Now, on its 40th anniversary, those fans are going to celebrate in a very special way!
The Great Con-Junction is a special event run by the people of Thames Con Events. The team has a long history of convention industry experience, and they were able to merge that with a love of all things Jim Henson. What started as a small workshop at the 2019 Thames Con grew into an entire event at Elstree Studios in London (where the 1982 film was made), where cast and crew of the movie could come and share a special day with fans.
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While previous Great Con-Junctions have been hosted in the UK, this year is going to be a very special treat. In celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary, the Jim Henson Lot in Los Angeles, California will be opening its doors to host the great gathering of gelfling fans! The main two-day convention will be held at the Hilton Universal City, while the Henson Lot will host the Saturday evening after party.
The convention has special tiers of passes, all named after various creatures featured in the movie and show. Guests who purchase special VIP passes (Mystic, Sksksis, Crystal, Aughra and Thra) will be able to attend this rare event. Zay Mirmalek, Company Director of The Great Con-Junction, spoke with Movieweb about collaborating with the Henson company in order to bring this one-of-a-kind event to life.
Henson has worked with the team in previous gatherings in order to make these events so special. Guests have included puppeteers, designers, voice actors, and even the puppets themselves. This past week, it was announced that the Rian, Deet, Hup, and Aughra puppets from the 2019 Netflix prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, will be on display at the convention for fans to enjoy. Mirmalek details about working with the cast and crew of the franchise for the event.
The Crystal Calls!
The Dark Crystal was a passion project, not just for Jim Henson, but for everyone involved. Throughout Henson’s life, he was always looking to push the boundaries of puppetry as an art form, and The Dark Crystal was his first attempt at a puppet-led film outside of a human-filled world. Sadly, not everyone agreed with his vision when it ran through test screenings and eventually a wide release.
While the movie earned back its money at the box office, audiences were overall mixed. Either it was too easy of a story, too different of a world, too scary for kids, and too wild for adults. But as the years have gone by, the film has gained a second life of its own. With books, comics, games, and merchandise of all kinds to further extend the boundaries of Thra. Last year a ballet was announced to be in the works with the Royal Opera House titled The Dark Crystal: Odyssey, a release date has yet to be revealed.
In 2019, Netflix premiered The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, which brought old audiences back to Thra and newcomers into Thra for the very first time. The show was highly praised by both audiences and critics and would be nominated for several awards. Sadly, just after winning a Primetime Emmy, it was announced that the show was cancelled by Netflix. It was a devastating blow to fans, but Lisa Henson made it loud and clear that this would not be the last time audiences would see the world of Thra.
The Great Con-Junction will be held on November 12-13. As the countdown draws ever closer, they continue to update on their group Facebook page. It is sure to be an unforgettable weekend for Dark Crystal fans of all ages! Mirmalek commented on being able to bring the event to America for fans that could not travel overseas.
