Prime Video has renewed Citadel, the spy thriller series which reportedly cost over $200 million, for a second season.
Amazon is ready to shell out more money for Citadel. THR has reported that the streaming studio has renewed the hugely expensive Citadel for a second season. The budget for the first season of the series reportedly ballooned to more than $200 million, which is a hell of a lot of money for just six episodes.
“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,” reads the official synopsis. “With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) 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. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore 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.”
Josh Appelbaum (Without Remorse) was originally the showrunner of Citadel, but he departed in December 2021 (along with several others) after creative differences with the studio and the Russo brothers. David Weil (Hunters) was brought in to rewrite the series with cinematographer Thomas Sigel (Drive) helming the reshoots. THR’s sources say that Weil will remain onboard as showrunner for Citadel season 2, adding that the Russos are expected to helm multiple episodes of the new season now that it’s been renewed.
Citadel is meant to be an “Avengers-style spy show” as it deals with spies from all over the world coming together for the ultimate mission. The series also has franchise-potential built right in as each of the spies could be featured in their own movies in their home countries. After the global reveal of the trailer, Joe Russo teased the plans for the franchise.
This is a really unique television event and I think that’s what excites Anthony and I the most about it. The concept was an idea that Jen Salke presented to us a few years ago. The notion of telling a story that could be interwoven throughout the world. It would have a flagship show and then regional shows. You know, written, produced and directed by regional talent that could interweave with the flagship show. And we thought that, one, that was such a novel idea for a narrative. And, two, an amazing way to create a really diverse global community of storytellers to tell a giant mosaic of a narrative together. And after our work on the Marvel films and spending so much time traveling the globe, this was an idea I think that was really exciting to Anthony and I and ignitable for us. And seemed like an incredible challenge.
Citadel premieres on Prime Video on April 28th with the first two episodes, with weekly episodes to follow until the finale on May 26th.