Citadel Indian Spinoff Honey Bunny Canceled (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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As per the latest update, Citadel’s Indian spin-off, ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ starring Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and the Italian spin-off, ‘Citadel: Diana,’ will not get any more seasons.
While Diana premiered on the OTT platform in October 2024, the Indian counterpart made its way on Prime Video around a month later in November. Now that Amazon Prime Video has pulled the plug on these spin-offs. Let us delve into whether the Indian series ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ deserved another season or not.
What was Citadel: Honey Bunny about?
The Indian counterpart, Honey Bunny, was a prequel/spin-off of the parent show ‘Citadel’ and was set in India in the early 1990s and a future timeline. The spy action thriller featured Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead roles of the two titular agents, Honey and Bunny, who work for the spy agency Citadel, and how they team up to complete their dangerous missions.
The answer is a resounding ‘Yes,’ and here are the main reasons why we think so.
Honey Bunny Critics’ Ratings Vs Citadel
Citadel: Honey Bunny got a decent critics score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. We know it’s not very high, but when we compare it with the ratings of the parent show ‘Citadel,’ the latter received an underwhelming score of just 51% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, the Indian version fared much better here. If Citadel is getting another season, then Honey Bunny, too, could have been greenlit for season 2
Audience Feedback
A significant section of the audience, especially Indian viewers, has opined that they liked the Indian spin-off Honey Bunny better than the American series. Having said that, we agree that many people didn’t find Honey Bunny as gripping and entertaining as they had expected.
The Brilliant Team Behind Honey Bunny
Honey Bunny was directed by none other than Raj & DK – the dynamic duo who also helmed another Indian spy series, ‘The Family Man,’ which now has a cult following. So, the possibilities to create an engaging Honey Bunny Season 2 were immense. But alas, that’s not the case here. There is not even an iota of doubt about the directorial prowess of Raj & DK and their ability to engage the OTT audience. We are sure Raj & DK have it in them to crack a potential Honey Bunny Season 2.
Besides, Honey Bunny was co-written by Sita R. Menon, whose earlier works include many Raj & DK projects, such as Farzi, Guns & Gullabs, and Go Goa Gone. Moreover, an accomplished performer like Kay Kay Menon as the antagonist further elevated the show’s credibility.
Honey Bunny’s Success on Prime Video
Citadel: Honey Bunny was purportedly Prime Video’s most-watched series worldwide during its first weekend of release in November 2024. So, it deserves another shot for a second season. Perhaps, the Indian spin-off didn’t surpass the sky-high expectations of the stakeholders at Amazon Prime Video.
The Indian Spinoff had a lot of potential but apparently struggled under the weight of its expectations. Maybe it deserved another chance, but in today’s OTT world, it looks like the margin for error is razor-thin.
There Is Still Good News for Honey Bunny Fans
There is still good news for all those who enjoyed Varun and Samantha’s spy-thriller on Amazon Prime Video. According to Times of India reports, the plot of Honey Bunny is expected to be merged with the second season of the main series ‘Citadel,’ which is set to arrive on Prime Video in the second quarter of 2026.
It remains to be seen whether Citadel’s second season will include an older version of the characters played by Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu or use flashbacks as a plot device to weave the stories of Citadel: Honey Bunny with Citadel Season 2.
