Expanding the Citadel: 'Diana' leads Prime Video spy surge

Do you love action films, grand production scale, and gripping plots? Prime Video is investing in one of its flagship products: "Citadel," which this year is expanding into a true universe. Joe Russo (as THE Russo Brothers, known for major productions and high-budget films, are behind the series), the executive producer, explained it's about a global spy agency, Citadel, with members worldwide whose goal is to protect people globally. The rival spy agency, Manticore, stands against it. This makes everyone around the world equally invested in the stakes Citadel is fighting for.

This led to the creation of two new productions in this universe, with a "twist" on the idea. "Citadel: Honey Bunny" is set in India in the 1990s, while the action of the second series, "Citadel: Diana", occurs a few years after the events of "Citadel" and is set in Italy. The first episode of "Diana" is already available on the platform.

The first episode starts with riveting intensity: without hesitation, an agent shoots herself in the arm. It's her alibi: no one can know her true motives and purpose.

The world of "Diana" takes place in the very near future: the year 2030, with the action unfolding in Milan. Eight years earlier, the Citadel fell, and a powerful hostile syndicate, Manticore, seized power. During this time, Diana Cavalieri (played by Matilda De Angelis), a Citadel agent working undercover, finds herself trapped behind enemy lines as a spy in Manticore. Social tensions are escalating due to the increasing support for widespread gun ownership. Manticore's network of agents controls citizens, knowing more about them than they know themselves. Diana finally sees an opportunity to escape, leave her spy life behind, and vanish forever. But the only way to achieve this is to trust the most unlikely ally: Edo Zani (Lorenzo Cervasio), who is the heir of Manticore in Italy. We quickly understand her motivations: her lifelong aim is to uncover the mystery behind her parents' tragic deaths and bring the culprits to justice. That's why she joined her greatest enemy.

If you feel you've seen the lead actress before, here's a clue: Matilda De Angelis had a small yet electrifying role in HBO's miniseries "The Undoing," where she portrayed the lover of the character played by Hugh Grant. She was captivating in that role, so it's thrilling that a wider audience can now see her at the centre of a high-budget production. Especially since the Italian actress effectively takes on the role of a double agent with a family secret. As a spy, she is more convincing than the beautiful Chopra from the original series. Her performance is dynamic, with many shades of differing emotions. She fits perfectly into the almost futuristic world of the sequel, which is visually more captivating than the multi-million-pound production from 2023.

The showrunner of the Italian series, Gina Gardini, explained that one of the first established objectives had been that each series must have its own identity, its own visual language, and its own tone. She added there had been no expectation that every series would connect to the others beyond being set in the same world.

The near future's subtle futurism in "Diana" excellently depicts a world where billionaires with access to the most advanced and lethal technologies operate. Everything works here: set design, costumes, props, creating a sleek spy series with a credible central character and a solid plot. The question is whether De Angelis's still relatively unknown name will attract viewers.