After the worldwide success of her series Fleabag, all eyes were on what Phoebe Waller-Bridge would produce next after signing a $20 million-a-year deal with Amazon Prime Video.
But since the three-year deal was announced in 2019, the 37-year-old’s collaboration with the streaming service hasn’t been as fruitful as many might have expected.
In fact, due to a series of unexpected circumstances, Waller-Bridge didn’t produce a single show or movie for the platform between 2019 and 2022.
In addition to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the entertainment industry, things took a surprising turn when it came to the only notable project Waller-Bridge was publicly involved with for Jeff Bezos’ company.
Moneybags: In 2019, Phoebe Waller-Bridge signed a three-year deal with Prime Video, earning $20 million a year
Bull’s eye: The star was red hot at the time of the deal thanks to the success of Fleabag
Shortly after signing her contract, Waller-Bridge was announced as the lead actress and executive producer on an exciting television adaptation of the hit 2015 action comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
The actress and her “Star Wars” co-star Donald Glover initially co-created the series and were set to star as assassins John and Jane Smith – in roles first made famous by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
However, in September 2021, it was announced that the Solo: A Star Wars Story actress was quitting her role on the show due to “creative differences” with Glover.
Her role was eventually recast with Maya Erskine, with Waller-Bridge still credited as a co-creator of the series on IMDB.
Although she is currently still credited as the writer for an unknown number of episodes, it’s unclear if that will change post-release.
After receiving $60 million over a three-year period without any of her Prime Video projects materializing, many were surprised when it was announced that the deal had been renewed in January.
This time it was revealed that she had two new projects in the works; Producing a Tomb Raider TV series and working on an adaptation of Claudia Lux’s novel Sign Here.
Still, the deal has come under fire from multiple industry sources, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Work hard? At the end of the three years, many were surprised to see that none of the star’s projects came to fruition for Prime Video
still have it In January, it was announced that Waller-Bridge’s contract had been renewed – raising eyebrows across the industry
In fact, Prime Video is still looking for a showrunner Tomb Rider, leading many to continue to wonder how involved Fleabag’s creator will be.
Amazon TV chief Vernon Sanders responded to the recent comments, saying, “Not only is Phoebe fully embracing Tomb Raider and I think she feels very committed to it, but she’s working on it right now in a writer’s room.”
He continued, “She’s a perfectionist so she’s dying to make sure what she’s doing is great and right, but she’s proven that when she does it, she delivers.”
Here, takes a look back at the surprising twists and turns of the award-winning star’s previous collaboration with Amazon Prime.
Creative differences: Waller-Bridge resigned from the Mr. & Mrs. Smith project after a run-in with Donald Glover
Failed attempt: Phoebe Waller-Bridge dropped out of a TV remake of Mr. & Mrs. Smith because of a disagreement with co-creator Donald Glover; the duo pictured in 2019
Expected sequel: They were set to star together in the series based on the hit 2005 film – and take on the roles made famous by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
There was instant excitement and intrigue in February 2021 when Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge confirmed they would be giving a different twist to Mr. & Mrs. Smith in a series for Amazon Prime Video and New Regency.
And to help break the news to the world, Jennifer Salke, head of Glover, Waller-Bridge and Amazon Studios, posted a teaser video to her Instagram pages.
Forward: Maya Erskine has landed the role, with Waller-Bridge still credited as producer
In the clip, Glover and Waller-Bridge shared TikTok trends, while the Fleabag star captioned it, “Introducing the new Mr. & Mrs. Smith 2022. Co created with Francesca Sloan New Regency + @amazonstudios + PWB + @childishgambino. “
In a statement, Salke gushed: “Talk about the dream team! Donald and Phoebe are two of the most talented creators and performers out there. It is truly a dream for us, as well as for our global audience, to see these two forces of nature work together as a creative powerhouse.
‘Mister. and Mrs. Smith is an iconic property and we can’t wait to see Donald, Phoebe and Francesca make it their own. We are thrilled to be working with them and with such great partners at New Regency.’
The series had been in the works for months at the time the video was released, and was set to release in 2022.
Just months later, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Waller-Bridge left the show because she had a “different creative vision” compared to Glover.
In a later interview with Interview Magazine, the Atlanta actor made it clear that the departure was amicable when he said, “I still like her. I suppose she still likes me.”
Waller-Bridge is still credited as a co-creator on IMDB while she is credited as a writer for an unknown number of episodes.
Dividing her attention: The star juggled other actors and produced projects with other companies
Leading actress: The 37-year-old actress plays Helena Shaw (pictured left), the goddaughter of Harrison Ford’s whip-wielding archaeologist, in the fifth part of the film, Dial of Destiny
Around the same time that Waller-Bridge signed her deal with Amazon for 2019, the star was tapped to brush up on the script for the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die.
Elsewhere, she had a role on His Dark Materials and also worked as an executive producer on the HBO series Run.
The comedy thriller aired in 2020, but network bosses pulled the plug after just seven episodes.
Waller-Bridge had a recurring role as a lesbian taxidermist on the program, which also starred US actress Merritt Wever and Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson.
The show followed Ruby and Billy, former college sweethearts, who made a pact 17 years ago: if one texted “run” and the other replied with the same, they would drop everything, each other at New York’s Grand Meet Central Station and travel across America.
TV flop: Your HBO series Run aired in 2020 but was canceled after just seven episodes
Though well-received by critics, the show struggled to find an audience, and was only averaging 232,000 viewers per episode in April and May when it aired on HBO.
A Hollywood television source told The Mail on Sunday: “Run was liked by network bosses at a time when Fleabag and Killing Eve were the hottest things on the planet. However, Run was not translated for HBO audiences as expected.’
The source added at the time: “Sure it’s the first flop for Phoebe Stateside but she doesn’t have time to lick her wounds. Her deal with Amazon Studios means she can only bring concepts and series to the table on a budget for three years.
Meanwhile, the star has landed a starring role opposite Harrison Ford in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, which is due out June 30.
The actress plays Helena Shaw, the goddaughter of Harrison Ford’s whip-wielding archaeologist, in the film’s fifth installment, Dial of Destiny.
She will also star in fantasy comedy If, starring Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carrell, which is due out in 2024.
It has also been reported that Waller-Bridge may be named to direct the next Bond film.
The Mail on Sunday learned in April that the Fleabag star was in “early talks” with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli.
Fresh start: Now Waller-Bridge is hoping to finally bring new shows to the big screen after extending her lucrative deal
Looking ahead: After signing her new contract, Waller-Bridge will be developing a TV series of the Claudia Lux novel Sign Here
Though her first three years at Amazon haven’t yielded as much content as expected, the streaming service has revealed several projects Waller-Bridge is actively working on.
After renewing their partnership in January, news broke that the Emmy-winner is writing a screenplay for a new Tomb Raider TV series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Waller-Bridge will also produce the program inspired by the popular video game.
However, she won’t be following in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander by being the actress who brings the character of Lara Croft to life.
Big project: The Emmy-winner is writing a screenplay for a new Tomb Raider TV series
Meanwhile, Amazon is said to be looking for a showrunner to helm the series – leading some to wonder how involved the actress will be in the production of the programme.
Elsewhere, Variety also confirmed that Waller-Bridge will be developing a TV series based on the novel Sign Here by Claudia Lux.
The star has signed on to executive produce the comedy, which will explore the bureaucracy of Hell from the perspective of a humble employee.
According to the official logline, the series is “a darkly humorous, deeply engaging debut novel about a guy who (literally) works in hell.” Peyote Trip does a pretty good job in the Deals department on Hell’s fifth floor.
“Sure, none of the pens work, the coffee maker has been out of service for a century, and the only drink on offer is Jägermeister, but it’s still hell, and after waiting a millennium he has a plan that changes his.” could live (and die) forever.’
There also appears to be another unnamed Amazon project in the works, although no further details have been given since it was first reported in March 2022.
Despite the lack of content produced, the partnership with Amazon continues to be lucrative for Waller-Bridge and her company.
Accounts filed in August for her company, PMWB Limited, showed annual sales of $23 million with profits of $13 million.
Some fans have hinted that Waller-Bridge could participate in “many uncredited screenplays, story consultations, or screenplay reviews” as part of her deal, meaning her behind-the-scenes influence could be more invaluable than it appears has.
has reached out to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s representatives for comment.