Priyanka Chopra's 'Citadel' runs into trouble over expensive reshoots, walk-outs
Citadel was touted to be Amazon Prime Video's flagship franchise. With the backing of notable Hollywood celebrities and makers who have given us films like Avengers: Endgame and The Gray Man, Citadel was meant to spawn several local spinoffs. However, it has hit a speed bump over creative differences and cost overruns, making it one of the most expensive shows ever to be made.
Why does this story matter?
The spy series Citadel stars renowned celebrities like actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden. Although the show's shoot was wrapped up in December, the project was stalled due to many reasons. A report published by The Hollywood Reporter said that half of the creative team had exited the show citing creative differences, which led to many expensive reshoots.
Amazon let go of one of the team's core members
It all snowballed when Amazon felt iffy about the pilot footage presented by showrunners Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec. At that time, Anthony and Joseph Russo were busy focusing on their film The Gray Man, and this eventually led to the two forces submitting competing cuts. Amazon greenlit the Russo brothers' cut while Appelbaum was let go. Eventually, Nemec, too, reportedly quit the production.
Second most expensive show after 'The Rings of Power'
Following Appelbaum's exit, Brian Kirk—who reportedly directed five of Citadel's seven episodes—exited the production along with line producer Sarah Bradshaw, among others. Citadel's initial budget was $160M, but thanks to reshoots, another $75M was added to its budget. This makes it the second most expensive show after The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the first season of which reportedly cost $465M.
Source claimed Russo brothers should have worked as partners
A source close to the development told THR that the Russo brothers should have joined hands with Appelbaum and fixed the pilot together instead of "going solo" and also added, "That's not what partners are supposed to do." On another note, the Russo brothers have proved that they can justify their projects' budgets, so now it's just a waiting game till Citadel's release.
