Summary
Amazon’sPrime Videostreaming service has never really been afraid of throwing money around to create content. Based on the latest news surrounding one of the most expensive shows ever made, though, that kind of free-spending could be about to change going forward.
Prime Videohas an interesting place in the world of streaming. It’s nowhere near the top of Amazon’s overall priority list—much like the relationship between Apple TV+ and Apple—but has carved out a nice little niche for itself when compared to major competitors like Netflix and Disney+. There are major hits likeThe BoysandFallout,as well as less-successful-but-outrageously-expensive shows likeThe Rings of PowerandThe Wheel of Time. Amazon has never been afraid to shell out the money for lavish productions, as was the case with 2023’sCitadel. Even though the first season of the series only had six episodes, it cost a reported $300 million to produce. Prime Video initially seemed happy enough withCitadel’s end result despite a somewhat lackluster view count, approving a second season and greenlighting multiple spinoff series. Alas, the future just got very murky for theCitadelfranchise as a whole.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter,the second season ofCitadelis being pushed back from its planned release of Fall 2025 to Spring 2026, and all spinoff series are officially on hold. These reports come after the bombshell news on Thursday that Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke would be leaving the company. Salke proved to be one ofCitadel’s biggest supporters, as she came up with the initial idea, approached the Russo Brothers to help produce the show, and greenlit the various franchise installments. Now that she is gone,it remains to be seen if Amazon will want to foot the bill for an expensive series that no one seems to really be asking for.
Where DoesCitadelGo From Here?
Thus far, there have been three differentCitadelseries: the original English-language show, the Italian-languageCitadel: Diana, and the Hindi-languageCitadel: Honey Bunny. BothCitadelandHoney Bunnywerereleased on Prime Video near the end of 2024 to very little fanfare stateside. The foundational idea behindCitadelas a concept is that the Citadel spy program is an international organization that can house various series in different languages for different streaming markets. On some level, it makes sense for a giant likeAmazon to try and get a foothold in various countriesvia an overarching franchise. On the other hand, shooting various installments in different languages requires the fandom to be on board with the idea, and it’s not like producing engaging, exciting spy-thrillers is exactly a cheap endeavor. It was an expensive gamble from the jump, to say the least.
Perhaps the second season ofCitadelwill come out onPrime Videoand blow the doors off of everyone’s expectations. If that happens,Amazon could easily ramp up productionand begin doling out spinoff shows set all over the world. If the second season is released and falls flat on its face, well, it doesn’t seem like any of the variousCitadelspinoffs would have much of a future.
