Spy thriller that ‘cost Amazon £227,000,000 to make’ now free to binge in UK

A hugely popular TV show, which is the second most expensive series of all time, is now available to stream for free.

Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra, Citadel premiered with six episodes in April 2023 and had an astonishing budget of $300million (£227m).

The spy action series was a clear hit, leading to a second season being green-lit and ahead of release in May this year.

Now, the entire first run is out for binge-watching on ITVX.

Created by Amazon Prime Video, the thrilling drama follows top secret agents Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Chopra).

Years on from having their memories wiped, the former lovers are living under the new identities of Kyle Conroy and Charlotte Vernon.

But, called back to their duties, they are forced to ‘remember the past to save the future’ and stop a shadowy syndicate.

Scottish Bodyguard actor Madden, 40, and Chopra, 43, who is India’s highest-paid actress, star alongside Stanley Tucci as spymaster Bernard Orlick, a key member of the team, while other cast members include Lesley Manville as Dahlia Archer, a UK ambassador.

Additionally, Roland Møller plays Laszlo Milla, a lead operative of Citadel’s rival intelligence agency, Manticore.

Citadel was filmed across various locations but primarily in the UK, with scenes set in New York shot at Canary Wharf in London. Other locations included Kensington Gardens, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Tate Modern.

While other aspects of season 1 were shot in Lincolnshire, Birmingham, and Surrey, season 2 saw production shift further afield to Toronto, Canada, while high-action sequences were filmed in Slovenia, too.

The eye-wateringly expensive show was hailed as a ‘phenomenon’ by Amazon, as its costs rivalled those of iconic franchises like Game Of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, seasons 1 and 2 of the latter coming in at the most expensive ever made.

Feedback has long been mixed, though, as Citadel sits with a 61% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a slightly lower 58% from audiences.

Among the reviews of the first season, The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan praised: ‘It’s Mission: Impossible meets The Bourne Identity meets James Bond while glancing off Indiana Jones a few times along its irresistible way.’

‘Criminal masterminds are practically a cliche in spy stories, but in casting Manville, the show’s creators found a way to take something old and make it feel new,’ added Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Martin Robinson of the London Evening Standard noted that Citadel ‘won’t win any awards, but asked, ‘So what?’

‘This is pure Saturday night fun of a super-slick kind,’ he added.

As for audiences, Frans B called it ‘visually stunning’ and praised the ‘suspense’, while Christian C called the plot ‘fresh’ and ‘interesting’.

And for the cynics, Travis B felt it made for ’empty’ television while delivering ‘very little’ against a flashy budget.

‘It’s a good/ok show with a few twists and turns but at the end of the day it’s dialogue is a little cheesy at times (think 90s bond style) and reminiscent of a soap opera, but with spies,’ penned Joseph S.

As for whether Citadel was worth Amazon splashing their cash on, you’ll have to watch for yourself to find out.

You’re probably also wondering why it cost so much. Well, there’s no denying that television is more pricey to make these days, especially if you want it to look good. Stranger Things reportedly cost $30m (£22.7m) per episode.

Created by the Russo Brothers, Citadel was inevitably going to be a ‘go big or go home’ kind of project, since the filmmakers are known as the masterminds behind Marvel hits Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

In fact, the directors began exploring future spin-offs early on – Citadel: Honey Bunny and Citadel: Diana – although these were halted and the stories were woven into the second season instead.

Spending was high due to high Covid costs, which were ‘not factored in when the series was initially commissioned’, with tax credits for the locations used for filming also not accounted for.

However, as cited by The Hollywood Reporter, Citadel was mostly a passion project for Amazon Studios, which wanted it to cause a commotion.

But now, its future is uncertain, given that Amazon MGM Studios’ head Jennifer Salke has departed.

Ahead of Citadel’s UK streaming release on June 14, the broadcaster said in a press release that the acquisition marks a ‘definitive moment in the streaming service’s growth strategy, bringing “big screen” cinematic spectacle to ITVX’.

Season 1 of Citadel is available to stream on ITVX.