Even in darkness, hope lives, as a human detective and a faerie rekindle a dangerous affair. A neo-noir fantasy web television series, “Carnival Row” was created by René Echevarria and Travis Beacham—but not Guillermo del Toro who was once involved early on, but not anymore. But it definitely sounds like it sprung from his mind. At the time it was announced, he was on board as a co-writer, executive producer and director. Instead, his “Pacific Rim” writer Travis Beacham along with Echevarria who is known for working on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Dark Angel” and “Castle.”
It’s part detective story and fantasy where mythical creatures who have fled their war-torn homeland and have gathered in a city where tensions simmer between citizens and the growing immigrant population. At the center of the drama is the investigation into a string of unsolved murders, which are eating away at whatever uneasy peace still exists.
The eight-episode series is directed by Jon Amiel and stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. And it’s already been renewed for a second season before its premiere. Here is the official synopsis and note that Bloom is a “human detective,” whatever that means.
Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad) star in Carnival Row, a series set in a Victorian fantasy world filled with mythological immigrant creatures whose exotic homelands were invaded by the empires of man. This growing population struggles to coexist with humans — forbidden to live, love, or fly with freedom. But even in darkness, hope lives, as a human detective, Rycroft Philostrate (Bloom), and a refugee faerie named Vignette Stonemoss (Delevingne) rekindle a dangerous affair despite an increasingly intolerant society. Vignette harbors a secret that endangers Philo’s world during his most important case yet: a string of gruesome murders threatening the uneasy peace of the Row.
“Carnival Row” premieres August 30, only on Amazon Prime Video. Watch the new trailer below.