Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Prime Video show Citadel: Honey Bunny will not be renewed as an individual series, the US media reported on Wednesday, citing reports that the Indian show will be incorporated in the original Citadel series starring Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden.
Conceived as a flagship franchise, Citadel was designed to include multiple international spin-offs alongside the English-language main series, which stars Madden and Priyanka as elite spies.
Honey Bunny, set in India, and Diana, set in Italy, were both executive produced by the Russo Brothers and explored different branches of the Citadel spy network. Despite strong debuts — with Honey Bunny becoming Prime Video’s most-watched series worldwide during its first weekend in November and Diana launching as the streamer’s top Italian original in October — the two series will not continue independently, according to US-based magazine Variety.
Honey Bunny starred Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in titular roles alongside Kay Kay Menon, Simran and Saqib Saleem.
“While these successful and widely enjoyed international chapters will not continue as individual series, Season 2 of ‘Citadel’ will be our most exhilarating yet,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, in a statement.
“With high-stakes storytelling, new additions to our amazing cast and bold, cinematic ambition, the new season will deepen the emotional journeys of Nadia, Mason and Orlick against the relentless force that is Manticore,” he added.
The logline for Citadel Season 2 reads: “One month after the events of the first season, we find our Citadel spies underground, as they’re being hunted by Manticore agents around the world. They’re pulled out of hiding to join forces with a new team of unconventional spies when Manticore’s Brazilian billionaire Paulo Braga threatens to unleash a cataclysmic piece of technology, built by Citadel’s own Bernard Orlick, into the world.”
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Citadel Season 2 wrapped filming in late November 2023, but the show has struggled since its inception. Alleged cost overruns, creative clashes, and reshoots added USD 75 million to the first season’s already massive USD 160 million budget, making it the second most expensive series ever produced, behind Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Despite the troubled production, Amazon renewed Citadel for a second season ahead of its April 2023 premiere.
The decision to consolidate the spin-offs comes amid broader changes at Amazon MGM Studios, following the departure of studio head Jennifer Salke, who had championed the Citadel franchise and its global expansion. As reported by Variety, the series not becoming the breakout success Amazon had anticipated may have influenced the decision.