Here’s why Priyanka Chopra’s Citadel is on its way to become one of the most expensive web shows ever made

Priyanka Chopra’s upcoming Amazon Prime Video web series, Citadel, seems to have hit quite a few snags through the course of its production. It was recently reported that, after witnessing cost overruns for a number of reasons, the series is well on its way to become one of the most expensive web shows to ever be made, after The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Citadel’s production was plagued by creative differences among its makers. The series was produced by The Russo Brothers and scripted by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec. The brothers were simultaneously working on The Gray Man and Citadel at the same time, and their lack of involvement in the latter soon led to friction when Amazon expressed reservations about an early set of cuts.

The Russos and the scriptwriters found themselves on opposing sides, and Amazon reportedly sided with The Russos, firing Appelbaum, who had also been the showrunner. Appelbaum’s exit caused a number of people from the show’s creative team to leave as well, including a director and line producer. The creative differences and staff exits had necessitated a number of expensive reshoots.

The report stated that the show’s estimated budget had been atleast $160 million, and the issues had led to additional costs of $75 million. The scale of Citadel also required it to be shot across three separate units at once, which added to the cost.

Citadel stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles in the seven part spy thriller show. The series is intended to be the first in a major franchise, with spin-offs set in India, Italy and Mexico. The Indian version of the series will star Varun Dhawan in the lead.The Indian series is created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. and bankrolled by Amazon Studios.