At Amazon’s “Carnival Row” panel, Bloom told the audience that Faulconer stopped by the Prime Video activation and chose the “Carnival Row” section to go into.
In the installation, fans are asked if they want to be a human or a creature. According to Bloom, the mayor chose creature, and was then given an “identity card.” Since all creatures are immigrants in Carnival Row, his card explained that he was “a mythological scrappy immigrant trying to make it in an oppressive new land.”
Bloom claimed that the mayor immediately said, “Oh no – I can’t have anything to do with immigration” and ran out of the activation.
When Variety reached a Faulconer spokesperson, they gave a different reason for the mayor’s quick split.
“The Mayor enjoyed visiting several studio installations set up throughout San Diego this week, and unfortunately there was a slight wait there and he had to move along,” Faulconer press secretary Ashley Bailey said. “We’re excited Amazon is showcasing its new shows in San Diego this week. Mayor Faulconer and his administration actively work with nonprofits and local agencies to provide shelter to migrant families, and has a long record of advocating for comprehensive immigration reform.”
“Carnival Row” stars Bloom and Cara Delevingne in a “Victorian fantasy world filled with mythological immigrant creatures whose exotic homelands were invaded by the empires of man.” The series premieres on August 30.