In ‘Citadel: Diana' Ticino too hits the world's screens

An adrenaline-fuelled chase along Lugano's lakeside promenade, a shootout in the LAC square, a meeting place for exponents of occult powers on the Gotthard Pass. Thankfully, this is not news: Ticino too hits the world's screens in the new Italian series ‘Citadel: Diana', which debuted on 10 October exclusively on Prime Video, Amazon's streaming platform.

‘Citadel: Diana’, set in the year 2030, is the first of the three announced spin-offs enriching the universe of “Citadel”, the US spy series created for Amazon by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo (directors of four chapters of Marvel blockbusters including “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame” and among the producers of the Oscar-winning film “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) whose first season aired exclusively on Prime Video last year. After the Italian ‘Citadel: Diana’, released these days, the Indian series ’Citadel: Honey Bunny’.

Part of this worldwide project, ‘Citadel: Diana' was mainly set in Italy, but also involved our canton in its production, where filming, supported by the Ticino Film Commission, took place over ten days in September 2022 in the surroundings of Lugano, the Gotthard Pass and in an underground car park in Mendrisio. It was a large production that had a significant economic impact on the region.

Direct expenditure in Ticino amounted to just over 948,000 francs. There were 1350 overnight stays (these alone were worth over 215,000 francs) while 180 Ticino professionals and local extras were hired.

The Ticino Film Commission managed to secure the filming of ‘Citadel: Diana' by granting incentives amounting to just under 40,000 francs, thanks also to the support of the regional funds Airolo Film Fund and Mendrisio Film Fund, and to intensive work both in the location search phase and during production. All of this was made possible thanks to the indispensable collaboration of the authorities of the City of Lugano, the municipality of Airolo and the City of Mendrisio, Lugano Region, LAC - Lugano Arte e Cultura, Fondazione Sasso San Gottardo, the local public transport companies of the Lugano area, and the two Ticino production services Inmagine SA of Mendrisio and Central Productions of Lugano.

The Head of the Culture, Sport and Events Department of the City of Lugano and President of the LAC Board Roberto Badaracco is particularly satisfied with the collaboration between the City and the Ticino Film Commission: "Ten years have passed since the creation of the Ticino Film Commission in 2014, and the results obtained show how the cultural and creative industry linked to the audiovisual sector is a development opportunity for the region. We have a natural and urban setting that undoubtedly lends itself to this type of production, and being able to count on a facilitator such as the Ticino Film Commission is a considerable asset. Lending the face of our city to productions of the calibre of Citadel: Diana allows Lugano to enjoy an international prominence that would be unimaginable with other media, as well as benefiting from the economic spin-offs of these large-scale productions."

‘The case of Citadel: Diana,' adds Ticino Film Commission director Niccolò Castelli, ’is an excellent example of the impact a large audiovisual production can have. Although we certainly remember the unavoidable traffic disruptions during the days of filming in the centre of Lugano, and once again we thank the public for their patience, as well as the authorities, shopkeepers and hoteliers for their collaboration, without which our region would not have been able to host a project of this magnitude, we also emphasise what this production has brought, a direct economic impact of almost one million francs in ten days, full hotels during filming, and numerous filming-related jobs for our professionals. Now, with the release of the series, there is one more chance to promote the image of Ticino throughout the world'.

'Citadel: Diana’, exclusively broadcast by Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories around the world, is produced by Italy's Cattleya - part of ITV Studios - and Amazon MGM Studios, with executive production by AGBO of US-based Anthony and Joe Russo, creators of the “Citadel” spy franchise. Starring Italian actress Matilda De Angelis in the title role of Diana Cavalieri, an agent of the Citadel spy agency who has infiltrated the ranks of the antagonistic Manticore facility, the six-episode series ‘Citadel: Diana' is directed by Arnaldo Catinari and written by Alessandro Fabbri. The showrunner of this important project is Gina Gardini, producer of series such as ‘Suburra’ and ‘Gomorra’. The international cast includes Lorenzo Cervasio, Maurizio Lombardi, Julia Piaton, Thekla Reuten, Giordana Faggiano, Daniele Paoloni, Bernhard Schütz and Filippo Nigro.