Anya Taylor-Joy is instantly recognizable for her ethereal look, and while many fans have pointed out that this is perfect for a fantasy project, Anya Taylor-Joy’s best movies and TV shows have been different genres. Her breakout role in one of the best Netflix miniseries of all time was the perfect way to highlight her skills as an actor, with Taylor-Joy playing the chess prodigy Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit. Able to convey multiple conflicting emotions at the same time just using her facial expressions, Beth is one of the most interesting recent female leads in a TV show.
Taylor-Joy might have been unmistakeable in the movies The Witch and The Northman, but playing Furiosa in the Mad Max saga transformed her, revealing her potential in action movies, which was then underlined in the horror-romance, The Gorge. Still, she excels at fantasy even when not onscreen, as her voice acting role in the bingeable Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance proved. With just ten episodes and an 89% positive Rotten Tomatoes score, this is the show to watch while waiting to see her in a live-action fantasy role.
Anya Taylor-Joy Is Playing A Brand-New Character In The Lord Of The Rings
While Anya Taylor-Joy’s Lord of the Rings character is officially dividing fans, many are excited to see her bring her action skills to the movie. She will be playing the Elf Seren, described as “a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil.” Her ability to play fragile-looking characters with immense hidden strength makes her perfect for an Elven character, and it is likely that Seren will join Aragorn in the hunt. This is controversial, as Seren is not a canon character, but if she does not resemble the unpopular Tauriel in The Hobbit, Seren and Taylor-Joy could win audiences over.
The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance Prefigures Her Role As Seren
Before Taylor-Joy was cast as Seren, she played Brea, a main character in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and the characters could potentially be similar. Brea is a Gelfling princess more interested in being a scholar than a political figure. However, when she learns the truth about the Skeksis, she becomes a leader of the resistance, with her diplomacy and healing skills being just as important as the characters who physically fight.
The official Lord of the Rings social media page announced Taylor-Joy’s casting with a mysterious-looking picture of a shadowy figure holding a bow and arrow. This, combined with the fact that we know Seren is already “lethal,” suggests that her talents may lie more in fighting than politics, but this is not confirmed to be the case. Tolkien’s Elves are in touch with their history and Taylor-Joy’s ability to give emotional depth to any character makes it likely that Seren will understand the gravity of the situation, and the need for subtlety as well as force.
Age Of Resistance Is Netflix’s Best Puppet Show
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was one of the most frustrating TV cancelations of the past 10 years, as the show is visually stunning, with complex and exciting worldbuilding and excellent voice acting, making it Netflix’s best puppet show by far. Puppet shows are difficult to get right, with an enduring misconception that they are simplistic and aimed at children, and the original Dark Crystal movie challenged this perception with Jim Henson’s creature designs and occasional “nightmare fuel” moments. The TV series captured the spirit of the movie, but with a visual upgrade.
Each episode title in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a quote from the original 1982 movie.
The series uses practical animatronics and physical sets rather than relying on CGI, making the series feel realistic, even with puppets as the stars. The world could not have been as immersive without the voice acting talent, which, in addition to Taylor-Joy, includes Jason Isaacs, Helena Bonham Carter, and Mark Hamill. The result is a fantasy series that feels tangible and tells a story of hope in the face of a tyrant. Taylor-Joy played a major role in this, and even if The Hunt for Gollum does not do her justice, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance does.
- Release Date
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2019 – 2019-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Louis Leterrier
- Writers
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Will Matthews, Richard Elliott, Simon Racioppa, Margaret Dunlap, Kari Drake
Cast
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Taron Egerton
Rian (voice)
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Nathalie Emmanuel
Deet (voice)