Created by Amazon Studios and Russo Brothers’ AGBO, the upcoming global spy series Citadel is all set to premiere exclusively on the Prime Video. The lead pair of the action-packed series Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas journeyed to Mumbai for the Asia Pacific premiere.
The first two episodes will be dropping on 28 April and one episode will be rolling out weekly through 26 May. David Weil serves as the showrunner and executive producer of the series.
The show synopsis reads: 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 (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.
The trailer shows multiple action-packed sequences and environments. The studios that have worked on the visual effects are Digital Domain, DNEG, Distillery VFX, Host VFX, Luma Pictures, Outpost VFX, Perception, Rise, Territory Studio, Visual Creatures and Zoic Studios.
With Citadel, Prime Video has created its original IP and will begin an ambitious franchise with interconnected stories that traverse the globe. “This is an amazing way to create a really diverse global community of storytellers, and make entertainment truly borderless,” said Prime Video vice president – Asia Pacific Gaurav Gandhi. “The popularity of the genre, the novelty of the concept and the magic of the Russo Brothers, David Weil, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, and everyone else involved with Citadel, gives us confidence that audiences will love this truly global series.”
Over 75 per cent of Prime Video India’s customers watch international shows and movies in English or local languages on the service. With localisation in Indian languages, over 25 per cent of the total viewing time of international shows and movies is now in local languages. Keeping that in mind, this spy show will stream not only in English and Hindi, but also in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam
“Each Citadel series is locally created, produced and filmed in-region, and stars top talent, forming a distinct global franchise,” said Prime Video India country director Sushant Sreeram. He revealed that an Indian instalment – which will be a part of the global Citadel universe – is currently in production.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas said, “When Jennifer Salke, who is the head of Amazon Studios, presented Citadel to me, she wanted to create an international, global franchise – an original IP that truly connects the world. Amazon strongly believes in diversity; and true diversity is represented internationally, not just by having different skin tones, but also by hearing the way people speak, actually delving into the culture. And this show has incredible ability to span across every country and continent. So, I didn’t even know the story and I said yep, doing it.”
Actor Richard Madden shared, “Citadel has been incredibly physically demanding. But I think that’s what really is dreamy. It’s not simply a gun show or a fight sequence. This is how these two characters interact physically, and how they dance together. We learn in each action sequence a little more about the two of them. Just like in the drama scenes, the stakes are so high because of the adrenaline of what’s going on. The show just works both in the drama and action sequences.”
The six-episode series also features Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville in pivotal roles. The global series will stream across 240 countries and territories in various international languages.