Citadel's costly flop: Prime Video hopes for a hit with new series

Half the world has heard about Prime Video's "Citadel." First and foremost, there was talk about the colossal sums of money spent to create one of the most expensive series in the world. It ended in a flop, but it doesn't stop there.

A year ago, Prime Video announced that "Citadel" was the most expensive production in the streaming platform's history. Officially, its budget reached £150 million per episode, or £25 million. However, the media reported utterly different figures—higher ones. Journalists from "The Hollywood Reporter" discovered that "Citadel" had cost over £160 million due to the need to reshoot footage. The production of "Rings of Power" by the same platform was theoretically more expensive - £370 million - but in that case, more than half, £200 million, was spent on acquiring the rights for the adaptation.

Nevertheless, "Citadel" has become one of the most expensive series productions of recent decades. However, the spy series did not receive good press. It was pointed out that while the series remained at the top spot among Prime Video's most popular titles for a month, it did not achieve spectacular viewership numbers.

A critic from the "Daily Mail" implied that viewers watched it because there were no other new releases. However, looking at the statistics, it seems they struggle to get through to the end of the series. It was a pleasure to admire Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden. Still, the critic admitted being sorry for the actors they had to 'perform' in such a dull production.

Prime's production had everything to become a big hit: money, well-known actors, and the Russo brothers behind the camera. American media still point out, "And still, no one watched it." The platform, however, claimed that the series is a "breakout success in countries around the world, including India, Italy, Brazil, South Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. It is Prime Video's second most-watched new original series outside the U.S., and fourth most-watched worldwide."

Maybe the new production will face a different fate?

Prime Video announced the premiere date and showcased the first photos of the series "Citadel: Diana," which stars Matilda De Angelis in the lead role. Produced by Cattleya and Amazon MGM Studios, the Italian series set in Citadel, with the Russo brothers' AGBO studio as executive producer, will debut on the Prime Video platform on 10 October.

This is how Prime presents the plot of the new production, as written by the Economic Times: "The story is set in Milan in 2030. Eight years earlier, the spy agency Citadel was destroyed by the enemy syndicate Manticore. Diana Cavalieri, an undercover agent, is now trapped behind enemy lines as a mole within Manticore. She finds a potential escape, but it requires trusting Edo Zani, the heir of Manticore Italy. Edo Zani is the son of Ettore Zani, who is competing for leadership against other European families."