Category: News

Carnival Row Season 2 Character Posters

The official Carnival Row Twitter account shared these new character posters for the show’s second and final season.

Carnival Row will end next year despite having a loyal fanbase, making Season 2 an emotional farewell to its cast of beloved characters.

The first image shows Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate (Orlando Bloom), a former police inspector in The Burgue, a human republic where social tensions reach a boiling point after more and more fae immigrate reach the city trying to escape a brutal war. At the end of Season 1, Philo was revealed as being half-fae himself and in a final move decided to leave the police and side with the other fae.

In Season 2, Philo will investigate a series of gruesome murders while uncovering a conspiracy at the city’s heart.

Philo’s former lover Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne), a fairy, came as a fugitive to The Burgue in Season 1. After being forced to work as an indentured servant to the Spurnrose family, she joined a band of fae renegades and realized how humans oppressed other creatures in Burgue. Now, in Season 2, Vignette is plotting a revolution to take down the human leaders who contribute to the marginalization of the fae.

The central image shows Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant) and Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi). Imogen is a human while Agreus is a faun, but they fall in love on Carnival Row’s first season, challenging social norms and shocking the high society. As the conflict between humans and fae evolves in Season 2, their love might symbolize hope and how everyone can still share the same world.

We will also see the return of the Burgue’s human leaders, Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) and Sophie Longerbane (Caroline Ford); former fae poet laureate turned prostitute and Vignette’s friend Tourmaline (Karla Crome); as well as Imogen’s vengeful brother Ezra (Andrew Gower).

Season 2 of Carnival Row comes to Prime Video on 17 February 2023, with the ten episodes of the season expected to roll out weekly.

Visit our Gallery to see all images in full size.

Read all our Carnival Row News.

(Sources: Vanity Fair & Collider)

First Look at Sansum the Priest (The Winter King)

Huge thanks to Twitter user @todbristol who shared this screenshot from the set of The Winter King with us.

The Winter King is a 10-part returning series currently filming in Wales and the West Country based on the best-selling Warlord Chronicles book series by The Last Kingdom author Bernard Cornwell. Andrew Gower plays Sansum the Priest, a character described as “unsympathetic and intriguing”, in this re-telling of the Arthurian legend. He is joined, among others, by actors Iain De Caestecker (Arthur), Jordan Alexandra (Guinevere) and Stuart Campbell (Derfel Cadarn).

The Winter King is produced by Bad Wolf for ITVX and is expected to hit the British streaming service in late 2023 / early 2024.

Carnival Row S2 Press Release

Amazon Prime have shared the plot line for S2 of Carnival Row in their official press release:

In a fantasy world where humans and creatures clash, Season Two of Carnival Row picks up with former inspector Rycroft Philostrate aka Philo (Orlando Bloom) investigating a series of gruesome murders stoking social tension. Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) and the Black Raven plot payback for the unjust oppression inflicted by The Burgue’s human leaders, Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) and Sophie Longerbane (Caroline Ford). Tourmaline Larou (Karla Crome) inherits supernatural powers that threaten her fate and the future of The Row. And, after escaping The Burgue and her vengeful brother Ezra (Andrew Gower), Imogen Spurnrose (Tamzin Merchant) and her partner Agreus Astrayon (David Gyasi) encounter a radical new society which upends their plans. With humans and fae folk divided and freedom on the line, each hero will face impossible dilemmas and soul-defining tests in the epic conclusion of Carnival Row.

Source: Amazon Studios

Carnival Row returns on 17 February 2023 for its 2nd and final season.

Prime Video is set to release two episodes weekly, spreading S2 out over the course of a month.

  • Friday, 17 February 2023: 2×01 & 2×02
  • Friday, 24 February 2023: 2×03 & 2×04
  • Friday, 3 March 2023: 2×05 & 2×06
  • Friday, 10 March 2023: 2×07 & 2×08
  • Friday, 17 March 2023: 2×09 & 2×10

Opinion

From the beginning it seems that Carnival Row was doomed.

First developed as a spec script by Travis Beacham, it made the Black List in 2005 and ended up gathering dust for 10 years when Amazon Prime signed a development deal for the series. Big names like Guillermo del Toro and Paul McGuigan were associated with the project but dropped out eventually leaving Beacham and Rene Echevarria as official show runners.

In May 2017, production was given a series order and principal photography began in October in Prague, wrapping in March 2018. Following a change in show runners (Echevarria being replaced by Marc Guggenheim) production returned to the Czech Republic for a several week re-shoot eventually wrapping in January 2019. The challenges that caused the re-shoot were addressed during the TCA summer press tour of 2019.

At this point Amazon Studios seemed to be fully invested in the show as rumours soon emerged about the possibility of a Season 2 which was officially announced in July 2019, a month ahead of the show’s premiere on Prime Video. Filming S2 was scheduled to begin in Prague in September of the same year however several issues (another change in show runners, the Corona pandemic, Orlando Bloom’s paternity leave, etc) caused severe delays in production.

It appears that all of these difficulties, the sometimes less than positive reviews that S1 received from audiences and critics alike, and the loss of momentum due to the 3.5 year gap between S1 and S2 in a world where audiences expect content to be available instantly, have led to the decision to pull the plug. It was a (maybe overly?) ambitious project that had enourmous potential but sadly failed due to circumstances. In hindsight, the odd hiring decision might have also hurt rather than helped the situation.

However, we are glad to see the series come to a conclusion. It can be assumed that production was aware of the cancellation well before its end (confirmed by a cast member and evidenced by the fact that the elaborate sets at Barrandov Studios Prague were dismantled only days after S2 wrapped filming), so we have all the hope in the world that S2 will give us and the series the end it deserves.

After all, Erik Oleson promised us: “We finish with a bang.”

(This comment was written by the admin of this page. We’re an unofficial fan page with no affiliation to Andrew Gower or his management.)

The Winter King – Wrapping at Blaise Castle

(c) Dronestagram

Twitter user @todbristol has shared some important information about filming The Winter King at Blaise Castle Estate in Bristol. According to them, filming at the 650 acre parkland surrounding the 18th century Blaise Castle will wrap on Tuesday, 13 December 2022, and sets are expected to be taken down immediately afterwards.

See @todbristol’s tweets and photos from set below.

The Winter King – Cast Confirmed

In a press release ITVX have confirmed some of the cast already rumoured for the upcoming adaption of Bernard Cornwell‘s Warlord Chronicles.

A bold and revisionist take on the well-loved Arthurian Legends, The Winter King follows Arthur Pendragon as he evolves from outcast to legendary warrior and leader. 

The Winter King is set in the 5th century long before Britain was united. In a land of warring factions and tribes when the World was brutal and lives were often fleeting.

Source: ITVX

Andrew Gower as well as some other actors have been previously confirmed for The Winter King – which is currently filming in Wales and the West Country – by their agencies.

Iain De Caestecker plays a young Arthur Pendragon, who begins as an exiled bastard before becoming the greatest hope for Britain.

Iain is a Scottish actor known for playing Leo Fitz in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Stuart Campbell plays Derfel Cadarn, the narrator of the story. He transforms from left-for-dead orphan to the truest of all warlords.

Stuart is a Scottish actor who Outlander fans might remember as Young Rabbie McNab. He most recently starred in the mini series SAS Rogue Heroes.

Ellie James is Nimue, a priestess saved by Merlin because she can see the gods – he gives her power, wisdom and learning.

Ellie is known for her roles in I May Destroy You, I Am… and Giri/Haji.

Eddie Marsan is Uther, High King of all Dumnonia, old and battle tested. He commands incredible authority, over almost all, bar Merlin.

Eddie was born in East London and has acted in TV mini series The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe as well as Deceit.

Nathaniel Martello-White portrays Merlin, a politician, powerful, enlightened, and absolute. Fearless in the face of a King’s wrath he follows his connection to his Gods in all things.

Nathaniel is an English actor and writer, known for Cla’am, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and Red Tails.

Daniel Ings plays Owain, Uther’s champion of Dumnonia, an experienced but not always honest senior warrior.

Daniel is an English actor who has appeared in I Hate Suzie and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? He also appeared in an episode of Black Mirror.

Valene Kane is Morgan, Arthur’s half-sister and another bastard child of King Uther. She is a sharp-tongued and independent minded pagan and student of Merlin.

Valene is from Northern Ireland and can be seen in The Fall and Gangs of London.

Simon Merrells is Gundleus, King of rival kingdom Siluria. Imposing and savage, Gundleus is prepared to slaughter whoever he needs to secure power.

Simon can be seen in Spartacus, The Tomorrow People and Knightfall.

Carnival Row S2 Release Date!

Fans have been waiting (im)patiently for a long time but were finally rewarded with a release date for Carnival Row‘s Season 2.

After several production delays due to a change in show runners, the Covid-19 pandemic and Orlando Bloom’s paternity leave, principal filming finally wrapped in September 2021. Similarly to Season 1, post-production took 17 months and Amazon Prime will release all ten episodes over the course of a month starting on 17 February 2023.

  • Friday, 17 February 2023: 2×01 & 2×02
  • Friday, 24 February 2023: 2×03 & 2×04
  • Friday, 3 March 2023: 2×05 & 2×06
  • Friday, 10 March 2023: 2×07 & 2×08
  • Friday, 17 March 2023: 2×09 & 2×10

Unfortunately, it has also been confirmed that Season 2 will be the show’s final season. This has been suspected since Orlando Bloom’s heartfelt good-bye post on Instagram and the elaborate sets at Barandov Studios in Prague (Czech Republic) were dismantled shortly after.

However, Season 2 will have 10 episodes (two more than Season 1) which was first announced by Orlando Bloom in an interview in 2019.

Reprising their roles are:

Andrew Gower teased his return in an interview earlier this year:

…the story “gets absolutely crazier” and said his character has “one of the darkest journeys” that he had been on “for a while”.

Source: Express.co.uk

Watch the first Season 2 teaser trailer here:

Pre-Order Andrew Gower & Gustaffson’s The Jacaranda on Vinyl

Andrew Gower‘s first EP, that he released with his band Gustaffson this summer, is now available to pre-order on their website on vinyl. The first 100 vinyls will be signed by Andrew Gower, James Webster (Gustaffson) and Elbow‘s Craig Potter (producer).

The Jacaranda is also available on CD/Digipack and the first 50 CDs will also be signed.

So be quick to order before they’re gone. If you (pre-)order now, Gustaffson promises to ship the items before Christmas 🎄, so they make perfect gifts 🎁 for your loved ones – or yourself. 😉

The Winter King – Who is in the Cast?

As filming for the new ITV series The Winter King based on the Warlord Chronicles by best-selling author Bernard Cornwell (The Last Kingdom) is well under way, fans are eager to learn who will be in the cast.

The story is a retelling of the Arthurian legend and takes place in Post-Roman Dark Age Britain, a land where the warlord Arthur has been banished and Merlin has disappeared,Saxons are invading and a child-king sits unprotected on the throne. We meet a vain and unpopular Lancelot, an ambitious and scheming Guinevere, a Merlin who is more absent Druid than mystic magician, and a Mordred who is Uther’s grandson and legitimate heir. The tale is told by the Saxon-born monk Derfel Cadarn for Igraine, a young queen.

Source: Wikipedia

So far there have been no official statements from the production itself but we were able to gather some information about some of the main cast.

Iain De Caestecker plays Arthur Pendragon, the illegitimate son of King Uther, an exiled warlord who returns to Britain.

Iain is a Scottish actor known for playing Leo Fitz in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Jordan Alexandra plays Arthur’s wife Guinevere, an ambitious woman who cares very little for others and seems only to want power and a high social status.

Jordan can also be seen in the film Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Netflix hit series Bridgerton.

Stuart Campbell plays Derfel Cadarn, the narrator of the story. He is a warrior and loyal to Arthur. Even though he sees Arthur’s flaws, he recognizes greatness and knows that Arthur is the only hope for Britain.

Stuart is a Scottish actor who Outlander fans might remember as Young Rabbie McNab. He most recently starred in the mini series SAS Rogue Heroes.

Daniel Ings plays Owain, Uther’s champion of Dumnonia, an experienced but not always honest senior warrior.

Daniel is an English actor known for I Hate Suzie and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? He also appeared in an episode of Black Mirror.

Ken Nwosu plays Sagramor, a fierce Numidian from Africa Nova and veteran of the old Roman army who has followed Arthur to Britain after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

Ken has previously appeared in Christopher Robin, The Witches and Killing Eve.

Andrew Gower plays Sansum, a character that is loosely based on the Cornish saint Samson of Dol, a Catholic priest and later a Bishop. Sansum is described as unsympathetic and intriguing.

Andrew of course needs no further introduction on this page. 😉

Valene Kane was also cast in the series but her character is not yet known. Speculation sees her maybe as Nimue, a druid priestess and Merlin’s lover. She’s also a first love to Derfel and his life long friend.

Valene is from Northern Ireland and can be seen in The Fall and Gangs of London.

Welsh actor Steve Ryan is also confirmed to be starring in the series but it is not yet known which character he will play.

Steve has previously appeared in His Dark Materials and Sex Education

ETA (29 November 2022):

In a press release ITVX have confirmed some of the cast already rumoured. Read more about it here.

The Winter King – Filming at Brabazon Hangars

According to the Bristol Post and confirmed by some watchful eyes on Twitter filming of The Winter King has moved from Blaise Castle to the Brabazon Hangars.

The Brabazon Hangars, at what once was Filton Airfield, are being transformed into the YTL Arena, a 17,000 capacity arena, festival hall and ‘hub’ for eating, drinking and leisure, which is due to be open by 2024.

We’re still waiting for a first look at Andrew Gower as Priest Sansum but #WatchThisSpace!

Otto Bathurst & Farren Blackburn Directing The Winter King

As previously announced, Andrew Gower has been cast in an upcoming adaptation of Bernard Cornwell‘s Warlord Chronicles. The popular book series by The Last Kingdom author is a modern reimagination of stories surrounding the legendary King Arthur. Most of the narrative is recounted in a series of flashbacks to the main protagonist Derfel Cadarn’s life as a young man when he met the many famous heroes of Arthurian times.

Originally set up at US cabler Epix, the project later moved to Bad Wolf / Sony Pictures / Paramount Plus. The 10 episode series is expected to be released in 2023 on ITV’s new streaming platform ITVX in the UK. Kate Brooke (A Discovery Of Witches, Medici) and Ed Whitmore (Manhunt) are reported to be showrunners and head writers.

Otto Bathurst (His Dark Materials, Peaky Blinders) serves as lead director and according to his Twitter account, Farren Blackburn (A Discovery Of Witches, The Innocents) is also directing some of the show’s episodes.

The clapperboard also confirms Danish cinematographer Stephan Pehrsson (Black Mirror, Tolkien) as Director of Photography.

ETA (18 October 2022):

Director Farren Blackburn posted this selfie from the set of The Winter King on his Twitter.