Carnival Films
Production company · United KingdomVia representation only
The company behind Downton Abbey and The Last Kingdom. Scripts and ideas through an established agent only.
The door
Via representation only
No unsolicited scripts or other creative material. They name an established agent as the route.
Door state checked against their official pages 12 Sept 2026.
What they're looking for
- Formats
- TV Pilot, Feature
- Genres
- Drama
- Takes approaches from
- Worldwide
Period and historical television drama, and the features that grow out of it. Read from their published slate rather than a stated brief.
Read from their recent slate, not stated by them.
How to approach
Their contact page rules out unsolicited scripts and any other creative material, then names the route: an established agent. The wording covers ideas as well as scripts, so a one-line pitch by email sits inside the policy rather than outside it.
There is no separate submissions address and no referral route named beyond the agent, so an agent is genuinely the missing piece here rather than one option among several.
The PreList verdict
Who this is for: represented writers with period or historical drama, or an adaptation with the rights already sorted. Carnival is one of the few British companies to have turned a returning period drama into a film franchise, so the ceiling is unusually high.
Who should skip it: unrepresented writers, for now. Some companies in this directory soften a closed door with a line about welcoming new voices. Carnival does not, and it is better to read that plainly than to hope.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 21 Sept 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does Carnival Films accept unsolicited scripts?
No. Their contact page states they cannot accept any unsolicited scripts or other creative material, and asks that anything be sent through an established agent.
Getting ready to approach Carnival Films?
Every door here reads to reject. The PreList gives your script a full read first: coverage across 11 metrics, formatting and completeness checks, and a rewrite room to act on the notes before anything reaches a submissions inbox.
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