What happens when a global spy agency meets its demise? We’ll soon find out in Prime Video’s upcoming spy thriller Citadel, a TV series unlike any other. There’s a mothership show starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, along with several local language series (Italy, India, Spain and Mexico) tying into it. Think of it as a network of interconnected shows chronicling one international narrative.
Besides Madden and Chopra Jonas, Citadel also stars Stanley Tucci as Bernard Orlick, Lesley Manville as Dahlia Archer, Osy Ikhile as Carter Spence, Ashleigh Cummings as Abby Conroy, Roland Møller as Anders Silje and Davik Silje, Caoilinn Springall as Hendrix Conroy and more.
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a press conference for Citadel, featuring executive producers Joe Russo and Anthony Russo and showrunner/executive producer David Weil alongside stars Madden and Chopra Jonas. The quintet dished on all things Season 1 and what audiences can expect when the six-episode freshman series launches.
We kicked off the festivities with the Russos delving into how Citadel came to be. “The concept was an idea that Jen Salke presented to us a few years ago. The notion of telling a story that could be interwoven throughout the world. It would have a flagship show and then regional shows written, produced and directed by regional talent that could interweave with the flagship show,” Joe said.
Weil gave press conference attendees a breakdown of the series: “Citadel is a story of two top spies. There’s Mason Kane, played by Richard Madden. There’s Nadia Sinh, played by Priyanka Chopra Jonas. They are top spies in the most powerful spy organization you’ve never heard of: Citadel. That’s by design. The day we meet them is the day that Citadel falls. It’s brought down by this nefarious new spy syndicate called Manticore.
We then cut eight years later. We pick up with Mason Kane; he’s living this quiet life in Oregon with his wife and daughter. He has no memory of who he was or his past. One night, a gentleman named Bernard Orlick, played by Stanley Tucci, knocks at his door and needs his help to take down Manticore before they create a new world order. Mason discovers Nadia’s still alive, and the two of them journey the world taking down Manticore and unraveling the very dangerous secrets of their past.”
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Next, Joe talked about how Madden and Chopra Jonas “play multiple versions of themselves” and how “their new personalities come into conflict with their old personalities.” Weil revealed the positives of tackling ambitious storytelling on a global front. “We’re doing it in tandem with partners all around the world. We have announced the India series and the Italy series. We get to work with these incredible writers, filmmakers, actors, and producers, truly from all around the world, and build this entire story together,” he said.
Anthony dove into the kinds of technology Citadel explores. “The technology we explore in the show is very forward-thinking. It is grounded in a world we all know and recognize, but as you peel back the layers to the unknown, part of the unknown is these very sophisticated tools and systems that spies can use to do things most of us can’t.”
Then, after we watched the trailer, Chopra Jonas and Madden joined the conversation. Madden discussed who his character, Mason Kane, is. “I don’t know where to start. That’s what the joy of this has been, being able to play these two very different characters in the same body. They are the same man in many different ways, but with each version of them, you pull out different aspects of humanity and who we are as people.”
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Madden continued. “One of them carries a lot of scars from the past and a lot of trauma. The other one doesn’t carry any of that baggage. He has a whole bunch of unknown to him, so we have these two very different characters. That’s what was exciting to explore about them. How much of your character traits are built into you, and how much is inherited through trauma and experience?”
Chopra Jonas teased her character, Nadia Sinh. “You know, I thought she’d be really simple. I think, like Richard said, our characters have sides to them and their personalities. Nadia carries a lot of baggage. I feel like she has to navigate really thick waters.
She has to hold her head up high while her life is changing all around her, but she has to stay centered because of the burdens she carries. I think that makes her very juicy as a character for me to play because every choice she makes is burdened and laden by so much pressure. She thrives in it, so it was really wonderful. Richard and I had a great time. I love working with him.”
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Chopra Jonas and Madden dove into the nonlinear approach to Citadel‘s storytelling and how they frequently switch back and forth between different versions of their characters while shooting. The actors discussed the stuntwork and incredible set pieces. Chopra Jonas described how she explored Nadia’s knack for trusting her instincts through the stunts. Madden delved into the show’s ability to provide drama and action in equal measure. They often weave in and out of both, usually within the same scene. “We really got to spin between it all at all times,” Madden said.
Later, Anthony talked about the emerging trends in storytelling over the years and how Citadel threads them all together. “This show is capitalizing on two very exciting trends we’ve seen in storytelling over the past several years. We’ve all been developing a strong passion for narrative universes with a sprawling expression to them, an interconnected years-long expression to them, where characters change, morph and move between different iterations.
At the same time, we’ve seen this rise in global filmmaking and the ability of non-English language movies and shows to travel to other cultures, and typically the more English-language-dominated cultures. This show is taking those two trends and smashing them together for the first time, which is exciting.” “That’s [what’s] so exciting and interesting to me, the cross-pollination of cultures and how entertainment goes beyond borders and language now. It’s just about storytelling,” Chopra Jonas added.
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What most excites you about Citadel? What do you hope to see, action-wise? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to tune in for the first two episodes on Friday, April 28, 2023, only on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping weekly.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
