From Amazon Studios and the Russo brothers, Citadel is undoubtedly one of the best spy-thriller series of the year so far. The all-new series follows the collapse of a global spy agency as its surviving agents attempt to remember their past lives after having their memories completely erased. Lead stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra are the perfect gunslinging and butt-kicking duo, while Stanley Tucci easily steals the spotlight with his nonchalant and charismatic attitude. As the plot continues to unfold, this globetrotting action-packed series certainly takes it up a notch that possesses a good combination of qualities from the Jason Bourne and James Bond films. Citadel is a must-watch spy series that certainly won’t disappoint fans familiar with this genre.
The official synopsis reads as follows, eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency—tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people—was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows. With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. One night, Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick, who desperately needs his help to prevent Manitcore from establishing a new world order. Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.
Citadel is a One of a Kind Spy Series
Citadel builds a strong foundation from the start. The entire cast pulls off an impressive performance while the CGI exceeds all expectations, especially for a streaming series. There are plenty of incredible action sequences along with just the right amount of comedy when you at least expect it. Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas were born to take on these roles as well as working together as the ultimate world-saving spy duo. Citadel is an overall fun and entertaining thrill ride that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. The series can sometimes be predictable, but its storytelling is simply exciting.
Although there are cheesy punchlines throughout the series, the quality of the intense and brutal fight scenes make up for it. Citadel is an overall success as a spy-thriller for Prime Video that should’ve been a feature film rather than a six-episode season. Citadel currently sits as the second most expensive series, with a total budget of $300 million. Espionage projects have obviously been quite active over the years while the marketing push for the Citadel was efficient.
Citadel is Only the Beginning
Last month, the series was renewed for a second season way ahead of its premiere date. It has also been confirmed that Citadel will be the beginning of a new cinematic universe, as multiple spin-off series will take place in different countries and languages. The first untitled spin-off project is expected to take place in India with Raj & DK helming the director seat and Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu starring. The second untitled spin-off series will be an Italian series that will be produced by Amazon Studios and Cattleya, which is part of ITV Studios. Unconfirmed reports suggest other upcoming projects will also be taking place in Spain, Alps, and Mexico.
Citadel went through a bit of “development hell” during production. As the series began its early stages in mid-2018, the partnership between AGBO and Midnight Radio had parted ways due to creative differences with the Russo brothers back in 2021. This departure caused major issues for the series until showrunner David Weil took over and led a change of direction. This also led to extensive and very expensive reshoots in 2022. Filming for the Citadel began around January 2021 and finally wrapped in December until the reshoots occurred in mid-2022.
Citadel stars Richard Madden as Mason Kane, Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Nadia Sinh, Stanley Tucci as Bernard Orlick, Lesley Manville as Dahlia Archer, Osy Ikhile as Carter Spence, Ashleigh Cummings as Abby Conroy, Rolland Moller as Anders Silje and Davik Silje, and Caoilinn Springall as Hendrix Conroy. The series is executive produced by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Scott Nemes for AGBO, with David Weil also serving as executive producer and showrunner. The highly-anticipated series is produced by Amazon Studios and the Russo brothers AGBO.
The first season of the Citadel spy thriller will consist of a total of six episodes. The first two episodes of Citadel are scheduled to release globally on April 28th, exclusively on Prime Video. The remaining new episodes will arrive weekly on Fridays.
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