5 Reasons Amazon's Citadel Was So Expensive to Make
What made it the second most expensive TV production to date?
Citadel first aired on Amazon Prime Video on April 28, 2023. And it’s already been confirmed a second season is on the way. No surprise, when you learn the 6-episode debut season had a budget of $300 million!
Here are five reasons why Citadel cost so much.
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It’s a long-term investment
Amazon isn't putting this show out there and waiting to see if it’s popular. They’ve chosen a tried and tested genre – espionage – and pumped millions of dollars into creating a franchise that they’re confident people will get on board with. As fads have come and gone over the years, spy series and thrillers (in their various guises) have remained popular. So, the network believes it’s on to a good thing.
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Spin-offs are already planned
An Indian spin-off is already being spoken about – and Amazon seems confident their fictional organisation that operates on a global level will open up new doors for them as the show and the network look to expand.
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An international audience
Spin-offs are planned for all around the world – a ploy which Amazon hopes will knit together its various shows and give them a central plot. In the same way that James Bond movies traditionally used locations to add a touch of glamour, Citadel aims to be a globetrotting thriller that takes us on a journey around the world.
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Top producers
Joe and Anthony Russo are hot property right now. But in the first instance, they were playing second fiddle to Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec as they had prior commitments to The Gray Man. However, Amazon execs weren’t impressed with the first edits for the show produced by the latter pairing.
Subsequently, the Russos became more heavily involved – and things got pretty tense. In the end, Applebaum and Nemec left the project and a lot of what had already been written and filmed had to be replaced.
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A complicated shoot
Sure, a global TV series has broad appeal. But it also gets pretty complicated. With three units shooting at the same time in various locations around the world, balancing them all was something of a challenge for all involved. Couple this with the rising costs of producing a TV show in recent years no matter where in the world you are, and it’s easy to see just why Citadel was so expensive to produce.