Citadel India: Varun Dhawan to direct Indian installment of Russo Brothers’ Amazon Prime Video franchise

Varun Dhawan will direct the Indian installment of the big-budget spy series Citadel, making its streaming debut with Amazon Prime Video. Amazon made the announcement on Tuesday, with producers Anthony and Joe Russo – collectively known as the Russo Brothers – welcoming the Bollywood actor to the Citadel universe in a tweet. The Citadel India spin-off series, set to begin filming in January 2023, will be led by filmmaking duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (Raj and DK) – best known for The Family Man – as showrunners, writers and directors. Further casting details and a potential release window will be revealed in time.

“We are thrilled to see another production in the Citadel universe begin, this time in India. We, and all of AGBO, consider it an honor to collaborate with such inspiring filmmakers as DK and Raj, who bring vision, style and tone unique to our collection of global series,” executive producers Anthony and Joe Russo said in a Prepared Affirmation. “And we can’t wait to see how this remarkable cast brings their imaginative characters and stories to life. those of Sita.” The latter refers to co-writer Sita R. Menon, who rose to prominence with Go Goa Gone in 2013. Other local-language Citadel productions are also in the works, starting with a Italian starring Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing).

The untitled Indian Citadel series directed by Dhawan is set in Russo’s “Citadel universe,” which explores interconnected spy stories, set in various lands. The initial US release greenlit in 2020, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The White Tiger) and Richard Madden (Eternals) headlining what would be among the most expensive series to produce – with a budget of over $200. million dollars (about Rs 1,655 crore). The Russo Brothers are known for their contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which led them to found their own studio AGBO in 2017.

Key credits include Extraction and The Gray Man, both of which are now available to stream on Netflix. With Citadel, the brothers are moving to Amazon Prime Video, alongside their subsequent regional installments. Plot details about the Russo Brothers Citadel are sparse, and it is described simply as “an expansive and groundbreaking series of world events”, with spin-offs taking place in the Italian Alps, Brazil, France, Mexico and the aforementioned India.

“The Indian installment of the distinctive and scintillating Citadel universe is one of our most exciting projects, and collaborating with the Russo Brothers’ AGBO has truly been an exciting opportunity,” said Aparna Purohit, Head of Indian Originals at Amazon Prime Video. “After the phenomenal success of The Family Man, working with Raj & DK on this project feels like we are further cementing our creative partnership. We are confident that with this series we will push the boundaries several notches higher and deliver a truly immersive experience for our viewers.

Currently, there is no release window for the Indian installment of Citadel directed by Dhawan.

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