Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is concerned about the high production costs of certain shows, particularly Citadel, starring Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden.Despite facing challenges during production and receiving negative reviews, the show reportedly cost a whopping $250 million (Rs 2,000 crore) for Amazon.
Jassy wants explanations for this expensive investment, considering Citadel’s disappointing reception.
To address these concerns, Jassy has requested a detailed budget analysis for Amazon’s major shows, as six of them have underperformed in the past nine months.
This move aligns with Amazon’s plans to downsize its workforce and abandon unnecessary projects.Despite investing $100 million in shows like Daisy Jones & the Six, The Power, Dead Ringers, and The Peripheral, none of them made it to the top 10 most-watched shows in the US.
Amazon aims to evaluate cost efficiency and prioritize successful projects in the highly competitive streaming industry.However, Amazon remains hopeful that Citadel will improve over time.
Odetta Watkins, the head of drama series at Amazon Studios, believes that the show needs time to resonate with the jaded US market.
Watkins sees Citadel as a triumph because its primary goal was to appeal to a global audience.
Amazon envisions Citadel as a franchise with international appeal, evident from its Italian spinoff’s completion and the ongoing production of an Indian spinoff featuring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan.
Priyanka Chopra’s Citadel is a global spy thriller created by the Russo Brothers.
The show follows a group of agents whose memories have been erased by a powerful crime syndicate.Chopra plays Nadia, a tier-1 spy who must fight to remember her past and stop the syndicate from taking over the world.
Citadel is a high-budget, action-packed drama with a star-studded cast.The show has been met with mixed reviews, but Chopra’s performance has been praised by critics.
Overall, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is seeking explanations for the exorbitant production costs of shows like Citadel, given their underwhelming reception.
