The executive who greenlit the series is no longer with Amazon, and with Amazon/MGM now having dibs on Bond there's allegedly little to no interest in pursuing further installments of Citadel.
However, production on the second season of the main series had already been underway by the time all this Bond stuff happened. Given how expensive it is to make, it was probably a sunk cost thing (or possibly a legal one). Expect a cancellation after this season drops.
95
ShowBoobsPls4 days ago
+17
Isn't this the most expensive show ever? At least cost per episode
17
WhiteMilk_4 days ago
+11
3rd or 2nd, depending on if you count Rings of Power S1 and 2 separately.
Adjusted to inflation (per episode):
* S1 - $64M
* S2 - $59M
* Citadel - $53M
Total cost isn't even close since you have many multi-season shows between Citadel's $317M and Rings of Power $1B.
Tho none of these numbers include Citadel S2.
11
ShowBoobsPls4 days ago
+3
That's crazy. At least LOTR is a popular IP.
This is an original IP
3
prodigyZA4 days ago
+9
1st season went through huge production issues which heavily inflated the cost. I wouldn't be surprised if this season was a lot cheaper.
9
Toby_O_Notoby3 days ago
+5
> This is an original IP.
TBF, that was kind of the point. Amazon had this idea of instead of spending on others’ IP, why not make their own? It was literally designed from the ground up to be an international IP that they created, owned, and could do anything they wanted without consulting the Tolken or Broccoli estates. For example, they already have two international spin-offs with localised Italian and Indian Citadel series.
But, as OP said, once they got all of Bond, their enthusiasm for more Citadel waned considerably.
5
Darmok473 days ago
+5
I do think the idea of local spinoffs that intersect with the main show is kind of a neat idea. Too bad the execution fell short.
5
orangesuave2 days ago
+1
Too bad because the Citadel universe has some promise.
1
Aevum13 days ago
+2
yea, but most LOTR fans cant stand Rings of power since it diviates from the source material and introduces a lot of concepts which makes it look like the writers never read tolkien,
I wont use the W word but from what i´ve seen, the money was spent on the VFX department, not the writing room.
2
richardroe772 days ago
+1
> but most LOTR fans
Is this like the first gen of forum LOTR fans that all hated the movies and nitpicked the shit out of every single one of PJ's changes but then somehow all got memory holed afterwards by later modern fans?
1
Aevum12 days ago
+1
i guess its depends on how it will be seen in the future,
We know that the peter jackson LOTR movies are remembered as masterpieces while the Hobbit is is remembered as this weird thing when they tried to convert a short book in to 3 movies and it showed in the quality of the story.
a good example is the JJ Abrams Startrek movies, at the time at leat the first movie was considered as a good movie.
and dont get me wrong, its fun, but its not a startrek movie, its a brainless action movie. and the 2 following movies each was worst. and only only that, it opened the door for a regular collaborator of JJ Abrams to take over the franchise and drive it in to the ground.
so he JJ movies arent remembered with such a positive tint anymore.
1
mmmmmmiiiiii4 days ago
+2
How is this so expense? I watched season 1 and couldn't recall anything from it.
2
senor_descartes3 days ago
+3
They rewrote and reshot it constantly and that shit adds up.
[link to article](https://collider.com/citadel-prime-video-budget-300-million/)
3
hamlet90003 days ago
+1
They cut so much stuff out of Season 1 that it reduced the number of episodes, which cranked the per episode budget through the roof.
1
kokomelonwokmahine4 days ago
+1
how is it so expensive? it doesnt even look that good. did they pay the actors 100m each?
1
Purple_Compote_3864 days ago
This is literally John Carter/Star Wars situation at Disney isn't it lmfao
It's a pity as I actually liked Citadel: Diana more than the main show, Stanley Tucci notwithstanding.
5
BruiserBroly3 days ago
+3
Foreign language spin-offs set in different cool places around the world was definitely an interesting idea.
3
Quantum_Quokkas4 days ago
+7
You’re right, it did! But it was a 2-season order that they had to fulfil so we’re still getting this and then that’s it
7
Lildicky914 days ago
+18
They’ve invested a shit ton of money into the citadel universe, It’s actually kinda crazy. Have the localized spinoffs done much better than expected? I haven’t heard of them being great or anything to even wanna watch them after Citadel S1 was such a clusterfuck.
18
DMike824 days ago
+18
The spinoffs were all cancelled. Presumably this one will be too after this airs.
18
MyManD3 days ago
+3
I think it's almost a fact that it's finished after this. First season aired weekly as an event show. This season is dumping in its entirety day one.
3
Aevum13 days ago
+1
Wasnt it supposed to be the russo brothers big new universe ?
1
MyManD3 days ago
+4
The Russos have fallen completely flat on their faces with everything they've directed post Avengers. Citadel, Grey Man, Cherry, Electric State. All of them ranging between mediocre to just outright atrocious.
4
Aevum13 days ago
+3
happens a lot.
usually happens when hollywood execs that just look at numbers see that someone succeded at something and they give them a blank check but attach them to a franchise they have nothing to do with,
Josh Trank with f4ntastic, Paul Fieg with Ghostbusters, Phoebe Waller Bridge with Dial of Destiny...
usually creators that have a specific limited range and do extreamly well in that range but once you take them out of it, and especially when a big studio gives them blank checks, and they utterly shit the bed.
the problem is when they fail time after time and studios keep giving them a blank check, people Like Alex Kurtzman... F4ntastic killed Josh Tranks carrer, and Paul Fieg has done very little post Ghostbusters.
while Kurtzman... you almost killed transformers ? heres our new universal monsters universe, you killed that too ? heres startrek for you to kill, that lost 95% of its audiance? heres silence of the lambs for you to ruin.
3
Stuckinthevortex3 days ago
+1
In fairness, they've produced a lot of great stuff, which might be more their lane
1
frisbeescientist4 days ago
+4
I remember giving up halfway through season 1 but I swear it was like 5 years ago at least? Apparently it was almost exactly 3 years ago so not that long, but it's still crazy that a major investment like that can just disappear for 3 years and then pop back up for a second season like we're all supposed to remember what happened in s1
4
MyManD3 days ago
+2
> Apparently it was almost exactly 3 years ago so not that long
I'd argue that anything over two years is too long for a TV show.
2
r-b-m4 days ago
+6
Dude, you’re getting a ‘del.
6
Darmok474 days ago
+115
Poor Richard Madden just looks sad in that pic, though at least he's wearing Archer's tactleneck.
115
Levonorgestrelfairy14 days ago
+23
He has resting sad face. Also everything I've seen him in hes super stoic
Im not going to say hes a bad actor but its funny for me to remember the days were some GoT fans would claim he was better than Kit.
23
MajesticCentaur4 days ago
+4
That sad yet stoic face was put to absolute perfection at the end of 1917. A very small role, but an amazing one nonetheless.
4
wer-erldturninggggg3 days ago
+5
Yeah, he’s clearly a great actor, just needs to choose better projects.
5
wildwalrusaur4 days ago
+18
He's a significantly better actor than Kit Harrington.
18
wer-erldturninggggg3 days ago
+11
Yeah I still think Madden is the superior actor, but Kit has been choosing far better projects since the pandemic. Industry in particular has done wonders for his reputation.
Madden is in a funk. A change in agents/managers might be needed.
11
DMike823 days ago
+4
Between the pandemic, this show taking up a huge amount of his time (the first season taking more than a year in total to film), and pretty much getting outed by the paps at the height of his hype, his career momentum pretty much slowed down to the point that he's only filming one project a year (compared to celebs like Zendaya and Glen Powell who have so many projects lined up they never seem to stop working).
4
Levonorgestrelfairy14 days ago
+1
I've atleast seen Harrington display range though.
1
beyondimaginarium3 days ago
+3
Indubidably
3
peg-leg-andy4 days ago
+4
I also have resting sad face. It's not amazing.
4
nightpop3 days ago
+5
He’s fantastic in Bodyguard. BAFTA/Emmy-worthy performance.
5
Levonorgestrelfairy13 days ago
+2
I saw him in that and he was just secret agent Robb Stark.
Enterprise was superman Robb Stark.
2
ChalupaBatmanMc014 days ago
+1
When he has fun and cares he's great, unfortunately it seems like a rarity.
1
senor_descartes4 days ago
+60
How is this over budget flop still on the air??
60
MikeBofManyBeats4 days ago
+8
They’ve sunk too much cost on the show to give up on it now
8
fatbob423 days ago
But…it’s called the sunk cost **fallacy**.
0
blackfeltfedora4 days ago
+31
I'm genuinely shocked they made a Season 2
31
Dallywack3r4 days ago
+59
The Russo Brothers are f****** con artists for how they somehow spent hundreds of millions on these shows nobody watches
59
Coolman_Rosso4 days ago
+33
So the brothers were in big demand after Avengers Endgame, and people found out the hard way that when left to their own devices they're more or less a money pit.
33
cabose74 days ago
+29
Marvel: so anyway, here's $80 million for Doomsday
29
envious_14 days ago
+23
To be fair their biggest (arguably, only) hits have been with MCU. So it's money well spent from Disney's side.
23
cabose74 days ago
+4
Getting an $80 million payday after making two staggering bombs (Electric State and Citadel) is obscene.
4
ChalupaBatmanMc014 days ago
+5
Considering the billions their movies brought into Marvel I don't think it's too ridiculous. I'd agree if it were anyone else.
5
cabose74 days ago
+1
They're not auteurs, it's absurd to credit committee made films to two guys after they've shown how bad they are when left to their own devices.
1
ChalupaBatmanMc014 days ago
+3
If Coogler were in the conversation right now would you play the same card? Black Panther is as very much seen as his vision as it is Marvels. Not saying the Russo's a geniuses but their guiding hand behind the camera brought stability after the Whedon mess. Are they brilliant filmmakers? No. Do they deserve some credit for the Avengers success? Absolutely.
3
cabose74 days ago
+2
The Russos are not Ryan Coogler and 80 million is an absurd thing to see in an industry that's been abandoning its local crews for cheaper labor.
Its disgusting to give these guys that much money and then say "we have to shoot in London to save money"
2
Votcha2 days ago
+1
And also that other Netflix movie " The Grey" with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.
It was fine... Not great. But better than Gal Gadot's Netflix spy movie which I guess isn't hard to do.
1
lanfordr4 days ago
+6
Community and Arrested Development would like a word.
6
TraditionalChampion34 days ago
+7
The last few years have shown that the Russo Brothers are good directors but poor creatives.
Anything I've seen of theirs Post MCU is the most generic thing possible. Probably could do a better job but seems like they were happy using the boost from the MCU to collect checks.
7
ChalupaBatmanMc014 days ago
+3
I was so disappointed in The Gray Man
3
CiriOh4 days ago
+36
Lol, now it's Stanley Tucci's turn to be the old bad ass dude.
36
IntoTheMusic4 days ago
+9
"Wake up, six!"
9
Skadoosh_it4 days ago
I thought he got killed in the first season. Then again, I don't even remember this show, it's so forgettably bad.
0
cgknight14 days ago
+11
The reason this exists is that it was renewed for a second season just before the first one aired - this will also come and go without a trace.
11
Business_Abalone22784 days ago
+23
I watched the first one. I can't remember a thing about it except the leads being incredibly good looking even for actors. I was told Rahul Kohli will be in this season so I'm watching because I have nothing better going on in my life.
23
PostalCarrier4 days ago
+7
For this reason alone, I recommend checking out Citadel:Diana, the Italian spin off series
7
richardroe772 days ago
+2
["Oh, ~~Britta~~Rahul's in this?"](https://tenor.com/en-AU/view/dean-pelton-community-oh-brittas-in-this-disappointment-disgust-gif-17627955678275410422)
2
Ok-Cardiologist-6354 days ago
+10
I tried to watch this solely because Richard Madden is hot as f*** but it was so bad I couldn't get past 2 episodes. Shocked they got a second season... hasn't it been at least 3 years since season 1?
10
wildwalrusaur4 days ago
+3
I did exactly the same thing
I'll probably give this another shot for the same reason.
He really needs a better agent. Most of his projects post Bodyguard have been stinkers.
3
ChalupaBatmanMc014 days ago
+1
I'm a huge fan of Tucci and he couldn't keep me around after the first episode, he felt so mishandled.
1
PostalCarrier4 days ago
+22
*Was Citadel lofty prestige TV?* **Absolutely Not.**
*Did the production value justify the insane budget?* **Not even close.**
*Will I be culturally behind if I skip this show?* **Nope, no one will talk about it and most wont know it exists.**
*If I like international spy/assassin shows with the right balance of action and intrigue, will I enjoy this show?* **Yes, 100% you absolutely will. It's 100,000% more watchable than Jack Ryan.**
I don't really understand all the hate this show gets –it's flawed, but it is actually quite fun. I even watched the spinoff: *Citadel: Diana* which was also a lot of fun! It's okay to just have fun watching a show.. maybe it's not okay to spend however many hundreds of millions they spent on making it, but what do I care, I watched a fun show and had fun.
22
KKalonick4 days ago
+4
Both Diana and Honey Bunny were solid shows. It seems that there was a recognition that the first season didn't land and they've retooled it for a second.
I wasn't appalled by the first season the way that the whole rest of the internet was (except for you, apparently), and I've been looking for updates on this season for a while.
It looks like fun, and I'll definitely watch.
4
Alphascout4 days ago
+4
Don’t do Jack Ryan dirty! That’s a fun sloppy mess ya know
4
floridabeach93 days ago
+2
i couldnt finish the first episode. three issues:
“look at us we know a bunch of different languages, lets make a bunch of really bad, cringy jokes in a bunch of different languages” makes me want to gouge my eyes out because its likely going to happen 7 times an episode.
“i forgot everything but i still know f****** kung fu or whatever the f***” ugh dumb corny and cringy again.
madden’s accent. why did you force him into it, its f****** awful. it changed 10 times in the first 30 minutes.
2
wildwalrusaur4 days ago
+2
>If I like international spy/assassin shows with the right balance of action and intrigue, will I enjoy this show? Yes, 100% you absolutely will. It's 100,000% more watchable than Jack Ryan.
Strongly disagree.
Also, if you're going to compare it to anything, it should be mission impossible, not Tom Clancy. That's clearly what the show was going for.
Of all the spy shows that have come out since covid, Citadel is the worst, imo. Excepting perhaps Michael B Jordan's John Clark which was more just disappointing than actually bad.
2
kokomelonwokmahine4 days ago
+1
i agree except for the part about jack ryan, while s1 is an entertaining slop, it is not better than any of Jack Ryan's seasons.
1
Ishvale4 days ago
+2
It's a constant loop of trash spy tropes, hard disagree
2
wildwalrusaur4 days ago
+3
That wouldn't be a problem in and of itself, it's basically what the MI franchise runs on. Citadel was just so poorly executed.
The script, the editing, the choreography. All bad
3
chrisgin4 days ago
+1
>If I like international spy/assassin shows with the right balance of action and intrigue, will I enjoy this show? Yes, 100% you absolutely will. It's 100,000% more watchable than Jack Ryan.
Have to disagree with you there. I liked Jack Ryan but couldn’t get past 2 episodes of Citadel. I can’t pinpoint what was wrong with it but I just found it boring.
1
GCU_ZeroCredibility4 days ago
+2
I sadly watched the first season. It's like they spent $300million dollars to hire decent to excellent (THE TUCCI) actors, film in super cool locations, and do lots of convincing effects... but forgot to actually hire writers and had to put up craigslist ad offering free cheetos to anybody who could whip up a season of scripts in 36 hours.
2
MagdaFR4 days ago
+3
I prefer to watch Stanley Tucci cooking.
3
Ok-Writing-53614 days ago
+3
Looove spy shows, but never have I seen actors with less chemistry than this show, actually unwatchable.
3
fr4nk_j4eger4 days ago
+4
still not paying for prime.
4
Senorpuddin4 days ago
+6
*This* got a second season but The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh gets canceled?
6
Mountain_Wafer_93404 days ago
+2
God I think I watched the first season of this and then totally forgot about it.
2
Mountain_Wafer_93404 days ago
+4
Jesus it was THREE years ago.
4
Anustart2023-014 days ago
+2
I thought this was meant to be garbage? Trying to build a TV universe without first seeing how your first entry is received was definitely a high IQ move by Amazon.
2
gchance14 days ago
+2
What? I thought this was just tossed aside, never to be remembered again. Holy c***.
2
Yojo0o4 days ago
+2
I genuinely cannot form long-term memories of this series. Every six months or so, I get freshly reminded that it exists.
I made it a couple episodes in. It was bizarrely generic, I couldn't tell you what happened now. I think they did a whole Bourne-esque amnesiac spy thing?
2
theslothening4 days ago
+1
Yeah, that is a good description but then there was a pretty big twist towards the end which turns the tables on everything that had happened up to that point.
1
bobreturns13 days ago
+2
There was a big twist in pretty much every episode.
I couldn't tell you what any of them were, but I remember getting exasperated with the pattern.
2
DataDude004 days ago
+2
I can't believe this actually got a second season.
I haven't watched it in a while but S1 was so awful I thought for sure this was going in the trash bin.
Looks like they have revamped the show to focus far more on Tucci which is a positive thing because Chopra and Madden were both awful, but especially Chopra
2
HasSomeSelfEsteem4 days ago
+2
They’re really moving ahead with this? The first season cost $300 million and generated next to no popular following or discussion. Most people forgot it existed the same year it came out. Also, Richard Madden is no leading man. He was good in Bodyguard and Game of Thrones but everything else has been forgettable.
2
bros4024 days ago
+2
Oh wow, I forgot about this show.
It was an interesting concept, but just boringly executed.
2
ToxethOGrady4 days ago
+2
Shitadel
2
BrokenSil4 days ago
+2
I guess theres no need to watch the show anymore, the trailer just showed the entire show.
2
Bman4k13 days ago
+2
This looks like a complete reboot of season 1. Tucci was the tech guy and now an action star. Madden and Jonas don’t have many lines in this one. It has no references to Citadel or that other evil group.
Look like they are just starting from scratch.
2
Dallywack3r4 days ago
+5
The Russo Brothers are f****** con artists for how they somehow spent hundreds of millions on these shows nobody watches
5
Levonorgestrelfairy14 days ago
+3
Just like Dan and Dave.
Executive see sucessfull projects and think they can throw money at the directors to replicate results.
3
Dallywack3r4 days ago
+4
Who the f*** are Dan and Dave?
4
JoeB-4 days ago
+5
I’m guessing David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from Game of Thrones.
5
Levonorgestrelfairy14 days ago
+2
Ah yes wrong D
2
JoeB-4 days ago
+1
You’re right. Weiss’s first name is Daniel.
1
DarkFriend814 days ago
+4
I tried watching the pilot and only made it 15 mins in. They canceled Wheel of Time when it actually got good in season 3 but still make this shit and the awful Lord of Rings show.
4
badgerhokie4 days ago
+2
This looks 10x better than S1 if I'm being honest. Like just let Tucci cook, man. And if that fails...literally let Tucci cook? Because that's a good show, too.
2
SBABakaMajorPayne4 days ago
+1
I could have sworn this faded off into limbo world forever...after so many failed spin-offs too.
1
eloquenentic4 days ago
+1
I thought this would be a tax write off. I guess not. What a dumb show.
1
Bebop_Man4 days ago
+1
God they're still going
1
blank9884 days ago
+1
I got half way through episode 1
What a colossal waste of money
1
Tor_K894 days ago
+1
Looks a lot better than the first season, plus, stanley Tucci killing bad guys is gonna be a funtime.
1
eldar4k4 days ago
+1
Another 200 million to Russo brothers for c*** that nobody watching
1
Th3Batman864 days ago
+1
Really!
1
TJMcConnellFanClub4 days ago
+1
I always remember when the Jonas Brothers came to a Penn State bar and the whole city came out, Sophie Turner was pouring shots at the bar, even our old ass football coach was partying…and Priyanka was in the corner the whole time with pouty face on
1
Kiwiampersandlime4 days ago
+1
If there was ever a biopic of Arnold Schwarzenegger I swear Richard Madden would be a good choice, if he bulked up a bit, and could pull off the accent.
1
DMike824 days ago
+1
I mean, he'd have to grow five inches (Arnold's not just massive and wide, he's also tall) and hop on steroids for like a *decade* first.
1
Nigeltown554 days ago
+1
Just let this die. Again.
1
timmyctc4 days ago
+1
This actually looks fun. Was the first season any good
1
Toidal4 days ago
+1
Need to have Meryl Streep be yhe next ynconventional aging actor to take a turn into the wick-esque stylized action vehicle.
1
jez1244 days ago
+1
Didnt realise this was happening. So 2 seasons of this and 2 spinoffs which are out already?
1
Sparrow19894 days ago
+1
Is this worth watching? Season 1?
1
salami_on_a_bagel4 days ago
+1
lol forgot this series even existed. wweren't there supposed to be a ton of spinoffs too
1
Ashtrim4 days ago
+1
Wait….. wasn’t this cancelled?
1
tekfunkdub4 days ago
+1
lol they still making this c***?
1
ryu5k54 days ago
+1
Isn’t this the terrible show that costs a gazillion dollars from the Russo brothers and no one literally watched or carded about it?
1
theguynextdorm4 days ago
+1
Ohhhh that's the dude who let it all hang out in Midsommar
1
WilliamEmmerson4 days ago
+1
This is probably the last season. If Jennifer Salke got ousted earlier, the show probably would've been canceled.
1
fitzysbuna4 days ago
+1
looks good ! can't wait to see more Tucci !
1
braumbles4 days ago
+1
It's a shame that the Russo Brothers can't seem to find a non MCU hit.
1
Bitgod13 days ago
+1
My initial reaction was "Are you serious?"
But then HE shows up...so now I have to watch.
1
Long_Office_97623 days ago
+1
I thought this had been cancelled
1
james21833 days ago
+1
Whilst I'm happy to see Stanley kicking ass... did he not die in the last series?
1
g_smiley2 days ago
+1
I think talents tend to demand 2 seasons so a lot of these shows are greenlit for 2 seasons to start.
1
Fortheflat20 hr ago
+1
I havent seen the first season and this was shown to me in a youtube ad i thought it was another nobody john wick with stanley tucci and i got excited and when i saw the title i went.. oh.. the trailer looked super fun, is season one worth watching at all?
1
MrShaytoon4 days ago
-4
Daal gadot. Yawn
-4
Mean_Cyber_Activity4 days ago
+1
Desi Gadot. Yawn
1
OldBirth4 days ago
-6
Richard Madden is like a death sentence for properties but still keeps getting them somehow.
140 Comments