The highly-anticipated and financially-troubled drama Citadel, which has been in development by the Russo brothers since 2018, has a second season already guaranteed.
According to sources, the show’s stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden will return for a second season, set to premiere on April 28. The number of episodes for the upcoming season has not been disclosed, but the first season consisted of a meager six episodes. This announcement comes after the series previewed a clip and keynote presentation at South by Southwest earlier this month.
Amazon and representatives for the Russo brothers’ production company, AGBO, have declined to comment, citing ongoing negotiations.
Initially announced by Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke in mid-2018, Citadel is described as a “large-scope, multi-layered international event series” from the directors of Avengers, Joe and Anthony Russo. Amazon has already produced an Indian adaptation of the series, and hopes that the spy drama will become a fully-owned franchise for the streaming giant.
While Salke’s predecessor greenlit Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Citadel represents a crucial moment for the current executive, who recently took over MGM.
As previously reported by The Hollywood Reporter in September, the budget for Citadel has skyrocketed to over $200 million due to several rounds of reshoots after disagreements led to the departure of half the creative team. The series is currently on track to become the second-most-expensive show ever made, only behind The Rings of Power.
Significant changes have occurred during the show’s production, including the departure of showrunner Josh Appelbaum and director Brian Kirk. The Russos subsequently hired David Weil, the creator of Amazon’s recently concluded drama series Hunters, to take charge of the show and provide a more grounded perspective. With a budget already earmarked at $160 million, Weil oversaw an additional $75 million in reshoots.
Sources report that Weil will continue to serve as showrunner for the upcoming season, with the Russos expected to direct multiple episodes.
At the South by Southwest festival, Chopra Jonas shared that working on Citadel was the first time in her two-decade-long career that she received pay parity, a significant milestone in the entertainment industry.
Citadel, a global spy agency responsible for upholding the safety and security of people, was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate that had been manipulating the world from the shadows. Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, two of Citadel’s elite agents, narrowly escaped with their lives, but their memories were wiped away. They have been living under new identities ever since, unaware of their past.
Eight years after Citadel’s fall, Bernard Orlick, Mason’s former colleague, tracks him down, seeking his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. Mason reaches out to Nadia, and the two embark on a mission around the globe to stop Manticore, all while navigating a complicated relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-but-undying love.
Citadel, created by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg, is a new Amazon Prime Video original series set to premiere in 2022. The show’s all-star cast includes Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Stanley Tucci, with Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik helming the pilot episode.
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, and technology enables those in power to manipulate the masses, the stakes for the heroes of Citadel could not be higher. The show promises to be an edge-of-your-seat thriller, filled with intrigue, action, and a healthy dose of romance, as Mason and Nadia race to prevent the forces of evil from taking over the world.
