One of the biggest shows on the 2023 TV schedule is finally set to debut this week, and it’s Amazon’s Citadel. The action thriller is an ambitious (and expensive) production from the streamer and features an adventure that spans different parts of the globe. Series creator David Weil has the task of managing all of the moving parts, though he has plenty of help. Among his fellow EPs are none other than famed filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo. Weil was able to work closely with the duo and revealed the most “extraordinary” thing he learned from them.
David Weil certainly isn’t a novice when it comes to the TV industry, as he’s served as showrunner on a number of notable shows. Invasion, Solos and Hunters are among his credits. However, Citadel arguably has the greatest scope of any series he’s tackled up to this point. So he probably didn’t mind having the Russo Brothers' support. At least, that’s the feeling he seemed to convey when we spoke during the junket for the upcoming series. When asked about what he’s taken away from his time collaborating with the two siblings, Weil mentioned a couple of vital points. However, an audience-related lesson truly stuck with him:
They are on it. They truly are amazing, I feel so lucky to work with them, to learn from them, to collaborate with them. Their ability to protect one's vision, for a [production], is unparalleled. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. And so that I think, that has many expressions, you know, in the story, of course. But they just have such singularity of vision. They just are able to see something and know what an audience will feel or think and how to subvert expectations, how to include the audience in certain ways. So really, just that knowledge and experience with an audience and the incredible work that they've done. That was probably the most extraordinary thing to witness of many other great things.
It goes without saying that the Russo Brothers have their fair share of experience with large-scale productions. These are, after all, the two men who helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame – three of the biggest installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And since their stint with the MCU ended in 2019, they’ve been working on birthing other IPs, including Netflix’s Extraction and The Gray Man. Thus far, their work has drawn plenty of eyes (and generated oodles of cash). So it’s fair to say that at this point, the pair have a solid sense of what attracts viewers and, as their colleague stated, that was invaluable for this latest endeavor.
Though Citadel isn’t the first high-profile release for the streaming-savvy Russos, and it’s shaping up to be their priciest. The show has a reported budget of about $200 million, which is greatly due to massive reshoots. Not only that, but a number of international spinoffs have also been in development. So the duo, David Weil and their collaborators have had plenty of work to do. Weil doesn’t seem to have minded it, however. During our interview, he went on to discuss the famous brothers and his other colleagues when reflecting on his favorite behind-the-scenes memories:
Getting to work with Joe and Anthony, getting to work with Richard [Madden] and Priyanka [Chopra Jonas], Lesly [Manville] and Stanley [Tucci], it's a dream come true. And there is just such camaraderie on set and in this experience. And so that's something I will take and hold near and dear for a very, very long time
The show centers on former Citadel operative Mason Kane (Richard Madden), who seeks to piece together his past several years after being in an accident. To do so, he embarks on a dangerous journey that reunites him with old allies like Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) and Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) as well as a few familiar foes. While the series has yet to premiere, reports suggest that Amazon has already handed it a renewal. That would theoretically ensure that David Weil will get to keep working with Joe and Anthony Russo and soak up more of their knowledge.
But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s just make sure we have our Prime Video subscriptions handy so that we can stream Citadel when it premieres on April 28. You can also read up on the best Amazon Prime original shows to binge watch right now.
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