Citadel_(TV_series)
Citadel (TV series)
American spy thriller television series
Citadel is an American spy action thriller television series created by Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh, and David Weil for Amazon Prime Video, with the Russo brothers acting as executive producers. It stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Citadel agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, respectively, with Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville among the main cast
| Citadel | |
|---|---|
Official release poster | |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
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| Directed by | Newton Thomas Sigel Jessica Yu |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Alex Belcher |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production location | United Kingdom |
| Cinematography |
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| Running time | 39–49 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Budget | $300 million |
| Original release | |
| Network | Amazon Prime Video |
| Release | April 28, 2023 (2023-04-28) – present |
| Related | |
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With a production budget of US$300 million, the six-episode first season ranks as one of the most expensive television shows of all time. The first season premiered on April 28, 2023, with its first two episodes. In March 2023, it was renewed for a second season, with Joe Russo announced to direct all the episodes in the season.
Multiple non-English language spin-off shows have been announced, with settings being in the Italian Alps, India, Spain, and Mexico. An Italian series, Citadel: Diana is set to release in 2024. An Indian series, Citadel: Honey Bunny, is in production.
Main
- Richard Madden as Mason Kane, a top-class Citadel spy agent and Nadia's work partner/lover; and as Kyle Conroy, Mason's identity after his memory was erased by Bernard; Abby's husband[2]
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Nadia Sinh, a top-class Citadel spy agent, Mason's work partner and lover; and as Charlotte Vernon, a restaurant manager in Valencia after her memory was wiped by Bernard [2]
- Ashleigh Cummings as Abby Conroy, wife of Kyle;[2] and as Celeste Graham, a former Citadel spy
- Roland Møller as Anders and Davik Silje[2]
- Osy Ikhile as Carter Spence[2]
- Caoilinn Springall as Hendrix Conroy, “Kyle” and “Abby’s” daughter[2]
- Lesley Manville as Dahlia Archer, a UK ambassador and Manticore agent[2]
- Stanley Tucci as Bernard Orlick[2]
Guests
- Moira Kelly as Joe[3]
- Timothy Busfield as Simmons[3]
- Nikki Amuka-Bird as Grace
- Paul Bazely as Rahi Gambhir
Development
Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke first came up with the idea for the series and approached the Russo brothers and their independent studio AGBO about creating an ambitious, global spy show in mid-2018. The series was originally a partnership between AGBO and the screenwriting collective Midnight Radio, comprising Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec. Appelbaum and Nemec departed the show during production in 2021, due to creative differences with the Russos. The Russos set up a second editing team and cut an alternate version of the season to compete with the main team, and Amazon chose the Russos' version after focus-group testings. This led to the hiring of David Weil as the new showrunner and extensive reshoots in 2022.[4][5]
As of 2023, Citadel was the second most expensive series of all time with a budget of US$300 million, largely due to the reshoots following Weil's hiring.[6][7] Prime Video renewed the series for a second season on March 14, 2023.[8]
Casting
Starring alongside Madden and Chopra, Roland Møller will play Laszlo Milla, a lead operative of Citadel's rival intelligence agency, Manticore.[9]
Filming
Filming on the main series began in January 2021 and wrapped the following December.[10][11] However, reshoots occurred in early and mid-2022 under the supervision of Weil, the Russos, and director Thomas Sigel.[4]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Human Enigma" | Newton Thomas Sigel | Teleplay by : David Weil Story by : Josh Appelbaum & Bryan Oh and David Weil | April 28, 2023 (2023-04-28) | |
| Citadel spies Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh are presumed killed during a mission in Italy when they are ambushed by Manticore agents. Eight years later, Mason, with no memory of his previous identity, lives a quiet life as Kyle Conroy with his wife and daughter. When Citadel agent Bernard Orlick learns that he is alive, and that Manticore agent Dahlia Archer is after a top-secret Citadel X case, Orlick abducts Kyle and his family, reveals Kyle's past to him, and persuades him to help retrieve the case to keep its potentially world-altering data out of Manticore's hands. | |||||
| 2 | "Spies Appear In Night Time" | Newton Thomas Sigel | David Weil and Bryan Oh | April 28, 2023 (2023-04-28) | |
| Nadia too survived the Italy mission. While escaping, she is held captive by an Italian man; she manages to kill him and escape, but her memory is remotely wiped out by Orlick. Eight years later, Mason retrieves the Citadel X case, but Orlick is captured by Archer's men. After discovering that Nadia is alive, Mason contacts her, helping her regain her memory through a serum in the case. | |||||
| 3 | "Infinite Shadows" | Newton Thomas Sigel Jessica Yu | David Weil and Melissa Glenn | May 5, 2023 (2023-05-05) | |
| Mason's vulnerable and confused state makes him susceptible to false stories and propaganda, leading to the question of whether he will trust Nadia or if they will go their separate ways after the crucial mission. | |||||
| 4 | "Tell Her Everything" | Newton Thomas Sigel Jessica Yu | Teleplay by : Josh Appelbaum & Bryan Oh and David Weil Story by : Josh Appelbaum & Bryan Oh | May 12, 2023 (2023-05-12) | |
| In Morocco, Mason and Nadia enter the Manticore Black Site to rescue Carter. They tackle an army of unnamed goons, with Nadia taking the lead. However, Mason is still rusty in battle, as his memories and previous skills were lost forever. He nervously follows Nadia’s direction. They quickly make their way to Carter’s cell. The traumatized prisoner looks up at Mason and blames him for this incarceration. The series then jumps back to ten years earlier. Mason and Nadia are living it up in Paris, where they are slowly falling in love with one another. Nadia informs Mason that a new agent is joining the team. She worked with this spy before, and the agent ended up saving Nadia’s life. | |||||
| 5 | "Time Renders Us Enemies" | Newton Thomas Sigel | Teleplay by : David Weil and Bryan Oh Story by : David Weil and Bryan Oh & Angela Russo-Otstot | May 19, 2023 (2023-05-19) | |
| 6 | "Secrets in Night Need Early Rains" | Newton Thomas Sigel | Josh Appelbaum & Bryan Oh | May 26, 2023 (2023-05-26) | |
Alex Belcher composed the first season, while Henry Jackman served as score producer. Sony Classical released the soundtrack.[12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Citadel (Main Title Theme)" | 1:19 |
| 2. | "The Train" | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Bathroom Brawl" | 4:45 |
| 4. | "Derailed" | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Amnesia" | 2:21 |
| 6. | "I Deserve to Know" | 1:50 |
| 7. | "Family" | 1:50 |
| 8. | "Taken" | 1:07 |
| 9. | "The Brothers" | 0:54 |
| 10. | "Dahlia Interviewed" | 1:34 |
| 11. | "A Myth" | 2:22 |
| 12. | "Backstory" | 2:48 |
| 13. | "Backwoods Kidnapping" | 1:45 |
| 14. | "Backstop" | 2:20 |
| 15. | "It's Time" | 2:12 |
| 16. | "Exceedingly Untrustworthy" | 3:44 |
| 17. | "Message to Abbey" | 1:20 |
| 18. | "Valencia" | 0:50 |
| 19. | "You're Nadia" | 1:11 |
| 20. | "Did You Just Throw a Knife?" | 1:15 |
| 21. | "Nadia Back with a Vengeance" | 4:14 |
| 22. | "Captured" | 1:42 |
| 23. | "Stitched Up" | 3:15 |
| 24. | "Ski Sequence" | 4:40 |
| 25. | "They Meet" | 2:03 |
| 26. | "Quite a Story" | 1:39 |
| 27. | "Nadia & Mason" | 1:13 |
| 28. | "Blacksite" | 1:08 |
| 29. | "Rescue Mission" | 2:31 |
| 30. | "Kiss & Tell" | 2:22 |
| 31. | "The New Tier 1" | 4:49 |
| 32. | "Interrogated" | 5:00 |
| 33. | "You Only Get One Soul" | 3:47 |
| 34. | "You Did This" | 2:46 |
| 35. | "What if It Was Real?" | 1:08 |
| 36. | "Headshot" | 1:32 |
| 37. | "Did He Know?" | 1:29 |
| 38. | "Can a Spy Truly Love?" | 4:01 |
| 39. | "Goodbye" | 2:07 |
| 40. | "The Truth" | 3:35 |
| 41. | "The Bracelet" | 2:21 |
| 42. | "Red Cell Mission" | 5:14 |
| 43. | "A Seat at the Table" | 1:54 |
| 44. | "Deactivating the Cores" | 4:32 |
| 45. | "Reuniting" | 2:14 |
| 46. | "A Favor" | 6:39 |
| Total length: | 120:37 | |
The six-episode series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 28, 2023, with its first two episodes.[13]
Citadel will include spin-off shows in different languages set in the Italian Alps, India, Spain, and Mexico.[14][15][16][17]
The Indian series, titled Citadel: Honey Bunny, starring Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, will be directed by Raj & DK.[18][19][20]
The Italian series, titled Citadel: Diana, is being produced by Cattleya, part of ITV Studios, and will be released in 2024.[21] At the end of season 1 of Citadel, there was a trailer for the franchise's spin-off titled Citadel: Diana, which will air in 2024.[22]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 54% approval rating with an average rating of 5.7/10, based on 72 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Citadel spares no expense but still feels underdeveloped, yielding a fairly fun spy caper that nonetheless creaks under the weight of its own exorbitance."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 51 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[24] The Economist called it "a big-budget, low-imagination thriller with plenty of explosions and no surprises."[25]
Accolades
Citadel was nominated for two awards at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards.[26]
- French, Andrew (March 9, 2021). "Amazon drama Citadel starring Richard Madden filming in Oxford". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- Andreeva, Nellie (February 27, 2023). "Citadel Sets Premiere Date; First Look At Amazon Global Spy Series Reveals Lesley Manville Casting". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- Campbell, Christopher (April 7, 2023). "Citadel Cast & Character Guide". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- Kit, Borys (September 1, 2022). "Russo Bros.' Amazon Series 'Citadel' Creative Overhaul Balloons Budget to $200M-Plus (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- Shaw, Lucas (July 5, 2023). "Amazon CEO Asks His Hollywood Studio to Explain Its Big Spending". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- Colangelo, B. J. (September 1, 2022). "Amazon Is Spending Over $200 Million On The Russo Bros. Series Citadel Due To Expensive Reshoots". /Film. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- Masters, Kim (April 3, 2023). "Inside Amazon Studios: Big Swings Hampered by Confusion and Frustration". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- Goldberg, Lesley (March 14, 2023). "'Citadel,' Amazon's Pricey and Troubled Drama, Renewed for Season 2 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (September 3, 2020). "'Citadel': Roland Møller Cast In Amazon's Russo Brothers International Event Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- "Priyanka Chopra Jonas spotted filming for her upcoming series Citadel with Richard Madden - BeautyPageants". Femina Miss India. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "That's a wrap! PeeCee finishes filming for Amazon Studios series 'Citadel'". The Economic Times. December 13, 2021. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "'Citadel' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. April 27, 2023. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- Ford, Rebecca (February 27, 2023). "'Citadel': Amazon's Big Bet for a Global TV Franchise". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- Topel, Fred (January 15, 2020). "Amazon Announces 'Citadel,' a Spy Series From the Russo Brothers Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- Petski, Denise (January 14, 2020). "Priyanka Chopra J & Richard Madden To Star In 'Citadel', Amazon's Russo Brothers International Event Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- "València, epicentro de la nueva serie de Amazon". Levante-EMV (in Spanish). September 23, 2021. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- Akingbade, Tobi (January 16, 2020). "When is Citadel released on Amazon and who's in the cast with Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra?". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- "Samantha Ruth Prabhu drops pictures with Varun Dhawan, Raj and DK as they finish a schedule of 'Citadel'". The Times of India. March 9, 2023. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- Das, Anoushka. "Citadel: 7 Things To Know About The Spy Series". She The People. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- "'Citadel': Varun Dhawan To Star In Indian Series Set In Amazon Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- "Italian Chapter Of 'Citadel' Spyverse Franchise Gets Official Title, First-Look At Lead Matilda De Angelis". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Citadel: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- "Citadel: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- "A golden age of TV is losing its shine". The Economist. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- Giardina, Carolyn (January 16, 2024). "'The Creator' Leads Visual Effects Society Feature Competition With 7 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
