Orlando Bloom on Final Season of 'Carnival Row'—And the Possibility of Revisiting 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

Is there more Will Turner in our future?

Orlando Bloom is saying goodbye to another fantasy world.

Carnival Row, which stars The Lord of the Rings alum as Rycroft "Philo" Philostrate in a world where humans and creatures clash, returns for its second and final season on Feb. 17—over three years after the Prime Video series first premiered.

"I think we give an audience an even bigger and better bang for their buck, if you like, with this season," Bloom told Parade.com in an exclusive interview. "All the actors do a fantastic job and get a real kind of send-off. I love the idea that we leave people wanting more, honestly."

However, it doesn't sound like viewers will be getting more in the future.

"Honestly, I don't know how we could improve on what we did and I think that we built the show out," Bloom said. "I think we built out the end of the show knowing that we were locked down for COVID, knowing how much time it was gonna take cause the amount of special effects, the amount of visual effects, the epic size and nature of the show meant that we knew it was gonna be challenging."

The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador added, "I think everybody is grateful that we got to bring home something that will live in the world with, I think, real dignity and grace and I'm super proud of the show and the work and everyone I got to work with. I'm proud of everything to do with it."

Continue reading Parade.com's exclusive interview with Orlando Bloom to find out what he had to say about Will Turner and the "epic" final season of Carnival Row.

Carnival Row Season 1 came out in 2019. How was it returning to this fantasy world after all this time for you?

You know, it was wonderful. I think the double-edged sword of the COVID shutdown was that as a show, we were able to go back and look at all the material we had already shot for Season 2 and ultimately realized that perhaps it was a great opportunity to go in and just bring Season 2 home as a finale—as a big, epic finale and adding episodes and really rounding off each character's storyline was phenomenal.

[Showrunner] Erik [Oleson] I think did a phenomenal job of bringing that home. I was excited to play Philo even more in Season 2. We had a lot of fun playing with the dual nature of his psychologies, his psychosis of all the shame, guilt he felt from hiding his Fae self and then stepping into that into this season and embracing that, but also recognizing that he's got to navigate his history and try and bring these two aspects of himself and these two worlds together.

It's an ambitious project. It's always been an ambitious kind of view of the world and a very interesting social commentary, which I've always loved about the show. I think we give an audience an even bigger and better bang for their buck with this season. All the actors do a fantastic job and get a real kind of send-off—and I love the idea that we leave people wanting more, honestly. I think people loved Season 1, and whilst there may be some disappointment, I think it's always better to leave people wanting more.

For fans who haven't seen it, what can they expect from this season?

So we kind of elaborate on the Fae and the journey of Philo and of Vignette [played by Cara Delevingne] and of all those characters that are now: We meet Philo: He was a man raised in this institutionalized world of The Burgue from an orphanage to the army to the police force, and he had to keep this secret about who he was—this half-Fae nature—to protect and save his life as he knew it. He steps into the fact that he is Fae and he's gonna embrace that and really fight for the Fae, but he's kind of conflicted about the world of The Burgue and his history and what that means. It's interesting, 'cause that nature, which in the sixth episode kind of we physicalize it and we see both aspects of my character on the screen, which was so much fun to do.

I had this "Joker meets Batman" kind of idea of the way that might look and feel. We see how in order for him to kind of help bring the worlds together, he has to come to terms with that shadow self, and it's a sort of true-to-life story of how we're messy as human beings. Love stories are not straightforward and it's complicated, and life is complicated, and I love that about the show. It doesn't pull any punches and it can really look at some of those dark and necessary things that we don't talk about through the lens of fantasy, and go well what happens when the police gang up on a minority or what happens when a marginalized group comes back and attacks everything, and what happens when life implodes.

The really remarkable thing was we were shut down for COVID and there was a storyline, which we were filming at the time, about a virus going through Carnival Row and taking out the Fae folk. I mean, it's sort of like, you know, the way life mirrors art.

I'm proud of the show. I'm really passionate about it. I'm really proud of the characters and all of the work that the actors did and that it will live out there in the world as I think a really, really strong piece of like work for people hopefully to enjoy.

Carnival Row is a fantasy drama, but it does tackle a lot of real-life issues. What do you hope viewers take away from this final season?

I think when you look at the issues that happen and unfold within Carnival Row, and you're kind of caught up in the story and the drama and the characters and the magical beings and the Fae, and the beauty and epic nature of the sets and the stories, it sort of pricks your conscience a little bit about the world we live in and the things that we see around us. I think so much more of what happens in the world is now apparent—partly because on social media, everything is communicated. So it's an interesting look at all of that, and I think it just pricks the conscience and makes you think, but it also gives you a really thrilling and unique story.

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What's been the best part about being part of the show and telling this story for you?

Philo is a really dark and complex character in many ways, but he's also fighting the good fight, which is something I love about him. He's trying to do the right thing. But he's got his demons, and we get to see that, and we get to see those unfold in his life and in the world of the show, and his relationships and how he relates to the loves and friendships. It just is a beautiful mirror of life and art together.

You're no stranger to these fantasy worlds. Is there another one that you'd like to explore, or maybe another franchise you'd like to join one day?

I had a really busy year with just finishing a big Sony title called Gran Turismo and I did a movie with David Michôd in Australia for A24 and Plan B called Wizards! with Pete Davidson, and I did a movie in Kentucky. I'm like enjoying being a little more of a chameleon in terms of the choices and way that things unfold, but, of course, I'm no stranger to those sort of epic sets and franchisable stories. But I'm like excited just to kind of carve out my path, which I'm doing and I'm really, really, really grateful for. I love what I do. You know, I love raising my family and my kids, so I'm feeling very blessed.

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You've been a part of two huge franchises, Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings. Is there a favorite in the Bloom household that everyone likes to watch?

Well, my son [Flynn] is of age to watch some of that stuff now. I think Lord of the Rings was something that we watched. I watched some of that early on with him and I know he enjoyed it, but Pirates is such great, fun entertainment, and he's got some little half-cousins who love that. I'm very lucky to be a part of these. I think of Carnival Row just like those movies. As a show, they feel epic, like eight-hour movies in terms of the size of the story and the sets. I think that those stories will live on and as people find them and like refind them, I think they'll live on. I love that aspect of what I do.

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If you could revisit one of those previous roles, which would you choose?

Oh gosh, you know, I did get to go back and play Legolas in The Hobbit, which was 10 years later.  I was like, "This is a lot of fun!" Because he's such a great space to be in, and I think Will [Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean]—I mean Will's so great. I wouldn't mind seeing what Will looked like today in some ways, because he was such this earnest guy, but after rumbling around the bottom of the ocean for as long as he would have done at this point, it'd be interesting to see how he surfaces and what he's like.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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