Citadel creator compares series to Bond and Mission: Impossible
"Certainly it has roots in all famous spy stories."
Star-studded spy thriller Citadel is almost upon us, with the series boasting a star-studded cast and team of creatives.
The Prime Video series, starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and produced by the Russo Brothers, follows various spies as their minds are wiped following the fall of their agency, Citadel. They have to escape the threat of rival agency, Manticore - before it's too late.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Joe Russo pointed out that the sci-fi thriller is influenced by classic spy stories.
"Certainly it has roots in all famous spy stories," he explained. "This is a show that really embraces that aspect of spy storytelling. You could say Bond, or you could say Mission: Impossible.
"What is unique about our world is these are not lone wolves, these are not single agents, we're following the story of a collection of characters who work for a specific agency and it's about the politics of that agency and it's about their relationships with each other and the complexities of those relationships.
"And then we're adding a twist to that, where some of the characters are struggling with remembering their identity as agents.
"The show is set eight years after the fall of our hero agency, where top agents had their memories wiped in order to protect them, protect the secrets of the agency, and then they were sent out into the world anonymously and built new lives for themselves without any recollection or awareness of their past.
"So that is another wrinkle, another twist that I think pushes this into a more high-concept execution of a spy show."
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Priyanka Chopra also recently opened up to Radio Times magazine about the scale of the show, explaining: "It's a very ambitious undertaking. Because of the show's scale, it took a year and a half to film six episodes. It was a lot of work physically, but also emotionally.
"My character is complex – when you're a spy, you're a liar. Everyone has two faces. That makes for a lot of tension between people. Also, to have partners like Richard Madden and Stanley Tucci – that's what makes this such a good watch.
"Coming on to set, fun was not something we looked for. We were like soldiers!"
Citadel will be available to stream on Prime Video from 28th April. Try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days.
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
