''Ren Faire'' is a three-part American

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. * Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

series directed and produced by Lance Oppenheim that premiered on June 2, 2024, on

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

. The series explores a

succession crisis A succession crisis is a crisis that arises when an order of succession fails, for example when a monarch dies without an indisputable heir. It may result in a war of succession. Examples include (see List of wars of succession): * The Wars of Th ...

at America's largest

Renaissance fair A Renaissance Festival (medieval fair or ren faire) is an outdoor gathering that aims to entertain its guests by recreating a historical setting, most often the English Renaissance. Renaissance festivals generally include costumed entertainers ...

, the

Texas Renaissance Festival The Texas Renaissance Festival (dubbed the Ren Fest) is an annual Renaissance fair located in Todd Mission, Texas, Todd Mission, Texas, about 55 miles northwest of Houston. The Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF) started in 1974 on the location of ...

Premise

''Ren Faire'' follows an epic power struggle at the Texas Renaissance Festival, after its founder announces his retirement. The festival's general manager and heir apparent faces off against a kettle-corn kingpin and a former elephant trainer, all vying to reshape the festival in their own vision.

Cast

Featured personnel in the documentary are credited as themselves (in order of appearance): * George Coulam * Jeffrey Baldwin * Louie Migliaccio * Darla Smith * Brandi Baldwin * Lauren Croft

Episodes

Release

The film had its world premiere at the

South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

Film Festival on March 9, 2024. Ren Faire screening

Reception

Critical reception

Accolades

References

External links

* {{HBONetwork Shows Renaissance fair 2020s American black comedy television series 2020s American comedy-drama television series 2024 American television series debuts HBO original programming