The premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s spy thriller Citadel starring Priyanka Chopra has been pushed to 2026 amid Amazon MGM Studio’s alleged dissatisfaction with the new season, the US media reported on Saturday.
The shake-up also affects the show’s ambitious global expansion plans. Development on all Citadel spin-offs — including the Italian and Indian instalments — has been put on hold, at least until the second season’s release, if not indefinitely, The Hollywood Reporter has reported.
Conceived as a flagship franchise, Citadel was designed to include multiple international spin-offs alongside the English-language main series, which stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as elite spies. While Italy’s Citadel: Diana and India’s Citadel: Honey Bunny have found success in their respective markets, their future now hinges on the fate of the parent series.
Citadel Season 2 wrapped filming in late November 2023, but the show has reportedly struggled since its inception. As per The Hollywood Reporter, 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 series is former studio head Jennifer Salke’s pet project. He first pitched the project to the Russo Brothers as Amazon’s answer to James Bond. However, Salke’s abrupt exit last week leaves the show without one of its biggest backers.
With head of TV Vernon Sanders now overseeing Citadel, and Amazon recently securing full creative control of the franchise, the studio’s commitment to the project remains uncertain.