Amazon Loses $250 Million After Game of Thrones Star’s Spy Thriller Fails Miserably
Game Of Thrones star Richard Madden made his debut in the world of entertainment in the year 2000 in a movie adaptation of Lain Banks’s Complicity. The Scottish actor rose to fame with the popular fantasy drama Game Of Thrones in 2011. He played the role of Prince Robb Stark, the eldest son of Lord Eddard in the Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa starer TV series.
The Golden Globe Award winner has also been associated with famous projects like- Cinderella, Bodyguard, and the historical fiction series Medici. He also played the role of Ikaris in the 2021 released Marvel Cinematic Universe’s superhero film Eternals. Recently, Richard Madden was seen in the spy action drama alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Citadel.
Game Of Thrones Fame Richard Madden’s Citadel Gets A Lukewarm Response
For the Game Of Thrones fame, Richard Madden’s Citadel, Amazon had to shell out $250 million. The spy drama is currently airing on Amazon Prime and has failed to strike a chord with the audience. According to a Bloomberg report, the expected returns from the show are nowhere close to the budget it was made on. As per the report, the show failed miserably on the rating chart too, as it could not register a seat in the top 10 shows on Amazon. The report mentioned-
“No show illustrates Amazon’s liberal spending better than Citadel, a global spy thriller that cost more than $250 million for one season.”
During an interview with the reputed media outlet Variety, Odetta Watkins, Amazon Studios’ chief of drama series clarified that Richard Madden’s spy drama needed some time to grow. She went on to say-
“I can tell you from a creative perspective, for me, it’s a victory because the show was conceived to be able to speak to the world. Every show is not going to hit in every place on the same level, but as the franchise grows, I feel like the numbers will grow all over, including domestically.”
While talking about the different episodes of the show, Odetta Watkins also mentioned-
“I think there are so many chapters to this. I think you’ll start to see the audience start to respond differently as it goes on. In the U.S., we are very jaded and watch everything with a discerning eye, like, ‘Hmm, that [season] wasn’t as good as the last one. I just think [Citadel] needs time to grow.”
During the promotion of Citadel, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas spoke about her chemistry with her co-star Richard Madden. She said-
“When he cracked a joke and I laughed, I was like, ‘Oh, that was actually funny. He’s funny. We got on really well. I think actual chemistry happens when you feel something, whether that’s good or bad. You can have amazing chemistry with a co-actor that you detest, too, because that feeling also creates chemistry. But I think Richard and I have mutual respect and admiration for each other. We’re both very prep-oriented actors. We’re both very confident about what we bring to the table when it comes to the show.”
The show has received a below-average rating and as well as fell flat on its face both commercially and critically.
Emilia Clarke On The Rude Behavior Of The Creators
Emilia Clarke rose to fame with her Game Of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen. The portrayal of one of the most important protagonists in the fantasy drama brought her into the media spotlight.
During an interview with Comicbook.com, the Me Before You actor spoke about her experience working in the show and how it helped her make her adapt to the different shades of her character. Emilia Clarke revealed her straight-back posture, which she had to maintain all through the eight seasons was something that disgusted her. The actor had tried to convince the show creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss if she could change her pose. She explained-
“People often spoke about Khaleesi’s very straight back being very good posture. I was a terrified 22-year-old. My mama told me to sit up straight, so I did. And then you’re stuck with it. I didn’t know I was going to go on for 10 years.”
One of the prominent faces of the fantasy drama Game Of Thrones, Richard Madden, who played the role of Prince Robb Stark recalled a moment from the show. During an interview with Variety, the Citadel actor mentioned the red wedding scene. He said-
“I remember a lot of crying because at the end of it, I was going to be apart from my family that I had lived with for five years — my on-screen mother and my wife and this crew that had spent a lot of time together, so it was traumatic not only to shoot but traumatic because I was losing my family.”
Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ starer spy thriller Citadel is currently available on Amazon Prime.
Source: Bloomberg
