As fans digest the epic S2 finale, Carnival Row fans are now casting their gaze towards the future – will the hit series return for season 3?
Today, March 17, the final two episodes of Carnival Row season 2 were released on Amazon Prime Video, aptly titled ‘Battle Lines’ and ‘Carnival Row’.
As fans of the fascinating fantasy show settle down to watch the conclusion of Philo and Vignette’s story, many are already curious as to what the future hold for the franchise.
So, has Carnival Row been renewed for season 3, and could we potentially see the series return next year?
Carnival Row season 3 renewal status explored
Unfortunately, Carnival Row will not return for season 3, with Amazon Prime Video confirming that the series would be ending for good following the season 2 finale.
Showrunners Travis Beacham and Marc Guggenheim told Collider back in September 2019 how Carnival Row was originally planned to have four seasons, and that the team had already “outlined and talked about Seasons 3 and 4.”
Unfortunately, the cost of producing another two seasons of Carnival Row was deemed too high for Amazon Prime Video, who opted to give the show a chance to wrap up naturally with its second season.
Sadly, these production issues were only exasperated when the coronavirus pandemic halted the filming of season 2, followed by the replacement of Beacham and Guggenheim by Erik Oleson as the showrunner.
Orlando Bloom explained how “there were a lot of changes at the top of the food chain” during the production of season 2, adding that “we were finishing what we thought was season 2 when the world went on pause, and we all went into hibernation.”
“I think COVID really put the brakes on everything. It was jarring and so the thinking was, there was a lot of love for the show in season 1 – and certainly Amazon was super supportive – but really, we had so much footage that we were able to take this world and bring it to a conclusion in a really great way.
The fan-favorite actor would add, “I love the idea of leaving people wanting more, rather than trying to wring the marrow out of everything” but that “I’m sad to see it gone.”
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Whilst having the streamer’s execution axe swinging down during filming could be a devastating blow for morale on set, season 2 showrunner Oleson would actually claim that it gave the team more creative freedom.
Oleson would share how “We were told that it would wrap up the season, but we were still filming. So we were able to go back and retrofit some stuff to get us to that.”
“Actually, don’t tell Jeff Bezos this, but it was kind of awesome! Because we got to go do a second draft. Like, ‘Oh, we can do better, lets go re-do that scene’. And you never get the chance to do that. You can’t do an entirely new sequence or things like that, so that was the silver lining of the COVID nightmare.”
This was then reaffirmed by fellow lead Cara Delevingne, who told Collider that the changes during filming meant that the team could create an ending that didn’t feel like a drag.
“A lot of shows drag out seasons and it gets a bit boring and monotonous and repetitive. And the way that this show works is that it’s intense and it’s extreme and it’s honest, so the way that it ends is perfect. If you drag it out, you wouldn’t really know where the story goes, and it ends in such a perfect way. I think fans will be very, very excited to see that.”
Delevingne would also shoot down rumors that the team was still planning third and fourth seasons following the pandemic, noting how “There were a couple of ideas, but there were never any full out ideas because you could go in any direction, really.”
“And then, when (showrunner) Erik [Oleson] came along, it was just perfect. Things just made sense, for the rate at which the show was going. There are so many ways in which it could have gone, but for me, this ending is perfect. I really wouldn’t change it.”
So, whilst Carnival Row season 3 will sadly not happen, at least fans got to see a definitive and thought-out conclusion; something that far too many OTT titles don’t get a chance to accomplish.
By Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]
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