The Russo Brothers Amazon Series Is In Serious Trouble?
This doesn't sound great.
Anthony and Joe Russo, collectively known as the Russo brothers, might be the hardest working duo in entertainment right now. From humble beginnings working on television shows like Arrested Development and Happy Endings, to successful stints in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Avengers: Endgame, the writer-directors have become the go-to creators of box office fruitions. Their big-budgeted endeavor of The Gray Man ended up becoming the most expensive production ever made for Netflix, which starred Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling in a cat-and-mouse thriller. Now, it seems that their next project, Citadel, may be in serious trouble, killing the vibe that the brothers have cultivated for years.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Russo brothers are currently in development on Citadel for Amazon, but it is quickly becoming a disastrous effort. The series is now one of the costliest shows in production today with a reported budget of $250 million, and creative differences have forced the series to lose several crew members and core teams. The Russo brothers in particular have been hard at work at making the cast and crew get involved in reshoots on the show, which is supposed to be a spy thriller. A big-budgeted show for Amazon–which is known for other critically acclaimed series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel–the project has seen better days for the executive producers.
Collider reports that Citadel was originally designed to be a flagship series for Amazon, which the Russo brothers intend to spin-off into other shows eventually. With overrun budgets and harsh criticism towards creative teams that have since exited the project, Citadel may be one show best remembered for behind-the-scenes drama rather than the drama unfolding onscreen. Starring Priyanka Chopra, Roland Moller, Stanley Tucci, and Scottish actor Richard Madden, the show will end up being an international event that includes several locations in Italy, Mexico, and many countries in Europe. While filming has concluded and the show is said to be in post-production, reshoots have kept going which has costed the series more money than was originally budgeted.
According to a report by Slash Film, Citadel and its spin-offs will be presented and filmed in local languages, which will most likely appeal to wider audiences looking for a more globally impacted series than what American creators typically produce. The Russo brothers seem to be following in the footsteps of other producing teams that have seen their budgets balloon in recent years, including HBO’s House of the Dragon and Netflix’s Stranger Things. With an A-list cast, the show may end up being one of the most watched series on Amazon, but the production team still needs to put the finishing touches on the show before it can debut. There is currently no premiere date set for Citadel, so it is anyone’s guess as to when audiences will get their first glimpse of the show. Nevertheless, the series will end up being seven episodes and hopefully won’t tarnish the reputation that the Russo brothers have created for themselves working on high-profile projects.
