Citadel is Amazon’s spy drama that’s gathering plenty of attention thanks to its all-star cast and fascinating premise. The series is set to be released on Prime Video, with six exciting episodes confirmed for its first season. Not only is the show being produced by Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously gathered a huge amount of fame for their direction and writing on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, but it also ranks among Amazon’s most expensive projects to date (via Business Insider), with grand production design and many exciting locations.
Interestingly, Citadel already has several spin-off projects in development that will expand this fictional universe and create a legacy unlike anything Prime Video has ever managed before. It’s being produced in cooperation with local film industries in several different countries (via Evening Standard), with the Italian version already filmed and several others in the pre-production stage. It’s interesting creative decisions like this that have made Citadel such a highly-anticipated project, and the promotional material also seems to suggest that this original series has the potential to become something special.
Citadel Season 1 Latest News
Following the release of a trailer for Citadel season 1 in early March, Prime Video released an exclusive clip from the series that follows a confrontation between the two main characters of the show. In the video, protagonist Mason Kane (Richard Madden) is attempting to make his partner Nadia (Priyanka Chopra) their old lives as spies after their memories were wiped several years prior. It effectively sets up the premise of the show, whilst giving a glimpse into the two dramatic performances that will inevitably keep things entertaining. The clip also offered a brief sample of the show’s powerful score, which is reminiscent of several classic spy movies.
Citadel Season 1 Release Date
Citadel season 1 will release on Amazon Prime Video on April 28th 2023, with the first two episodes landing on the same day. The rest of the season 1 will adopt a weekly release format, with the finale eventually releasing on May 26th. Although it’s becoming more and more common for streaming originals to release all their episodes at once, Citadel’s decision to keep things moving at a slower pace should hopefully help build momentum for the show and get people interested via word of mouth. Citadel’s risky storytelling means that certain aspects and spin-offs may release at later points, but that’s all in an effort to build this universe.
Citadel Season 1 Cast
Game of Thrones star Richard Madden and Baywatch star Priyanka Chopra Jonas have been cast as the leads of Citadel season 1 and are likely to feature in all six episodes. The pair will be playing Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh respectively, a pair of international espionage agents whose memories were previously wiped by their former employer. Based on the short clip that was released, the couple have excellent chemistry on-screen that really sells their complex relationship and promises a compelling dynamic to push this story forward.
Citadel season 1 will also feature Stanley Tucci in a prominent role as Bernard Orlick, a fellow member of the Citadel agency who has a history with Kane and Sinh. The actor is best known for his work in plenty of hugely successful movies, such as The Devil Wears Prada and The Lovely Bones. The talented cast continues with Ashleigh Cummings (Hounds of Love) as Abby Conroy, Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) as Dahlia Archer, Osy Ikhile (Jet Trash) as Carter Spence, Roland Møller (Land of Mine) as Anders and Davik Silje, and also Caoilinn Springall (The Midnight Sky) as Hendrix Convoy.
Citadel Season 1 Story Details
Although most in-depth details about Citadel season 1 are being kept tightly under wraps, the basic premise of the show has been announced and discussed at length by the cast and crew. The season will primarily follow Kane and Sinh as they re Citadel after having their memories wiped, teaming up once again to bring down a deadly crime syndicate named Manticore. Their characters will also have a complex relationship that’s explored in plenty of detail, with the individuals and their backstories driving much of the show’s plot forward.
Speaking about his character Mason Kane, lead actor Richard Madden claimed that “Mason is a very complicated man [...] he just has a whole bunch of unknown to him.” (via Collider). It’s likely that much of Citadel’s first season will center around this mystery of Kane’s character, taking the audience on a journey through his past and exploring exactly what led him to this point. Madden revealed that one of the biggest questions at the heart of Citadel is “how much of your character traits are built in, and how much are inherited through trauma and experience?”
Citadel Season 1 Trailer
Although Citadel’s season 1 trailer was delayed by a real-world tragedy, it eventually arrived on March 6th and gave an official insight into this high-budget production for the first time. In addition to proving just how exciting and inventive this narrative has the potential to be, the trailer also justifies that unprecedented budget with some beautiful cinematography and a wide selection of locations that really push home the international scope of the story. There are plenty of dangerous stunts and action set pieces that immediately set the tone for the show, whilst intimate snippets of Kane and Sinh tease their complicated relationship.
Has Citadel Been Renewed For Season 2?
Even though the first season hasn’t even been released yet, Citadel has already been renewed for season 2. The decision proves just how much faith Prime Video has in this series, not even waiting to gauge the audience reaction before getting started on the next stage in this saga. This news also reveals that Citadel season 1 won’t wrap things up completely, but will rather leave some threads unresolved, giving the writers plenty of material to work with. If both seasons are as successful as the studio is clearly anticipating, the Russos’ plan to construct Prime Video’s first real cinematic universe seems to definitely be in good hands.
Source: Business Insider, Evening Standard, Collider