Prime Video has another issue

We’ve heard for weeks that Amazon’s largest bet for 2023 so far is Citadel. Since streaming works like this, there has been talk since it started about its large expenditure, similar to previous production in which Amazon’s check amount was the main concern: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (preparing for a second season)

Was ‘Citadel’ about? Eight years after the demise of a global autonomous espionage organization, two elite agents escape but lose all their memories in ‘Citadel’, directed by the Russo brothers, who have made the most successful Marvel flicks. They stay hidden without remembering who they are until a former colleague reveals their identity and requests for help again.

Nolan and ‘Mission: Impossible’. Since its inaugural episode, ‘Mission: Impossible’ has featured spies who lose their memory or are betrayed by double agents. This Amazon bet is also reinforced by a semi-dreamlike visual that matches the idea of lost memories and is evocative of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’ or ‘Tenet’, though it is far from that sophisticated. It’s somewhere between domestic spy thrillers like “Jack Ryan” and more expensive ones.

The hit is regular. The issue with ‘Citadel’ is that critics’ first impressions arrived a day before its worldwide premiere on Prime Video on April 28. One has to wonder why Amazon has not let the press see it until so close to the premiere, unlike the less publicized but far superior ‘Dead Ringers’. According to 21 reviews on ‘Metacritic’ and 23 media on ‘Rotten Tomatoes’, it averages 53 and 55 points, respectively. It’s not bad, but not great.

Audience verdict. This could be another example like ‘Super Mario Bros. The Movie’ where critics and the audience disagree. However, since critics say it’s a “nothing special “series, “formulaic “, with a script that “is its big problem ” or “little to offer beyond conventional genre garbage “, the audience’s opinions may be similar. Prime Video, its saving grace, does well with programs like ‘Jack Ryan’, ‘Reacher’, and ‘The Final List’.

The cash issue. Amazon would have issues if Citadel failed. For economic reasons, they billed the series as the second most expensive in history, behind ‘The Rings of Power’, at $200 million. If the series fails, Amazon’s apparently endless cash flow could suffer again.

‘The Rings of Power’ precedent. Amazon spent a lot of money on Tolkien, mostly on rights: Netflix offered 250 million dollars, and Amazon paid less, but then put 465 million in the first season. As usual, Amazon’s audience reported murky data, but independent research at the time showed dismal viewer retention.

Foreign franchise. ‘Citadel’ will also have several spin-offs filmed in different markets, which has been heavily promoted. Local versions are confirmed in India, Italy, and Mexico. With its advertising expenditure, Amazon cannot back down from ‘The Rings of Power’, but with ‘Citadel‘, it has backfired.

Clay-footed idols. This unpleasant circumstance shows that Amazon made a rookie mistake: marketing several sequels and promises before verifying that the series has a following. The results of ‘The Rings of Power’ should have been useful for a successful firm like Amazon, but stats and budgets often become the authentic motto that supports a series above artistic values.

Prime Video has another issue

By nr39r

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