Tue Nov 12 23:46:19 UTC 2024: ## Citadel Expands its Global Reach with Italian and Indian Spin-offs
**Seattle, WA** – The highly anticipated spy thriller franchise, “Citadel,” is expanding its reach with two new international spin-off series: “Citadel: Diana” set in Italy and “Citadel: Honey Bunny” set in India. The news comes from the creators of the flagship series, Anthony Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Sam Weil.
The original “Citadel” series, starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra, follows the remnants of a global spy agency brought down by the powerful syndicate, Manticore. The new spin-offs will delve deeper into the world of Citadel, exploring different facets of the organization and its enemies from unique cultural perspectives.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have worked with our partners in Italy and India,” said Russo-Otstot. “The opportunity that all of us have embarked on together was to manifest a truly global story through multiple expressions that each feel unique, distinct, and culturally resonant, but at the same time, globally resonant.”
The creators emphasized the importance of exploring characters and their struggles within specific cultural contexts. “What we have found to be most meaningful in this journey is leaning into the characters,” said Russo-Otstot, “the people that exist within these different settings, the conflicts that arise that can feel common and shared between them, but the different ways in which they manifest because of their unique circumstances.”
Both “Citadel: Diana” and “Citadel: Honey Bunny” are set to premiere on Prime Video on November 7th. The creators are already using the new series’ themes and characters to inform the upcoming second season of the flagship “Citadel” series.
“We’re certainly borrowing from that great well of ideas and realizations into Season 2,” said Weil. “It’s a constant flow of ideas and creativity.”
The franchise is also committed to showcasing strong female characters, with each series featuring a female lead who battles against complex issues of identity and betrayal.
“We’re very excited to take the spy archetype and really bring forward these three strong, complex women,” said Russo-Otstot, “who I think not only are badass but bring so much dimension to their performances and really allow audiences to connect to them in a manner that maybe we don’t often connect to when we’re following a spy protagonist.”
As the “Citadel” universe expands, the creators have also expressed interest in exploring the origins of the agency and Manticore in future projects. This expansion, however, will be driven by audience reception to the new spin-offs.
“This isn’t just a collaboration with the other filmmakers for us – it’s a global collaboration,” said Russo-Otstot. “And that includes the audience. I think that will also play a big role in where we might want to continue taking things.”
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