When Prime Video announced the pairing of Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden, it instantly became a hit. Citadel promised true world action, and the spy thriller got a major boost. With a budget of $300 million, the show initially saw a good rise but later began to decline.
Prime Video then announced a Citadel Universe, and the hype was at its peak. But time caught up. What was its biggest enemy? Prime Video did nothing to capitalize on it—they let it stagnate. Now, with the announcement of Citadel: Diana, it’s the same story.
There was a huge boost in excitement, but it eventually died down. The same reputation followed. Diana did earn some praise but is merely a shadow of what Citadel delivered. Now, it’s time for Honey Bunny to step up. But things haven’t really changed.
Prime Video is repeating the same mistakes. Citadel: Honey Bunny is knocking at the door, set to release on November 7th, yet there’s little to no marketing. Prime Video did play a smart card by releasing The Family Man, a series fans love.
What they’re doing now is throwing bread crumbs. While it’s enough to attract some attention, what fans really want is a full meal. A few teases won’t do the trick.
For the Indian audience, the Raj & DK banner itself will give a boost to the franchise. Take Guns & Gulaabs as an example—despite being average in some areas, the show still drew attention because of the star cast and the Raj & DK name. The same will likely happen for Honey Bunny. Plus, the Russo Brothers are acting as producers.
But it doesn’t just have to be a regional hit, Citadel needs to go global. And for that, this loose marketing won’t be any good.
Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu will surely draw attention, but without marketing, the hype won’t last. They dropped a teaser a few months back but have since gone silent. Although the Family Man and Honey Bunny crossover is working, it might be too little, too late.
With just three weeks remaining, the Citadel franchise is definitely losing steam in terms of hype. Prime Video needs to actively promote the upcoming shows. They should begin campaigning for Honey Bunny, as it has the potential to be a global hit and elevate Indian entertainment on the global stage.
The stakes are high, and Prime Video needs to deliver. Citadel: Honey Bunny is releasing on 7th November.