Phoebe Waller-Bridge inks deal with Amazon: What could we expect from the 'Fleabag' creator next?

The writer and actress is set to make TV content exclusively for Amazon Prime Video as part of a rumoured $20 million contract

Phoebe Waller-Bridge won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series for 'Fleabag' at the 2019 Emmys. AFP

On Sunday evening, she walked away from the 2019 Emmy Awards with three trophies clasped in her grip. And just days later, Phoebe Waller-Bridge's pockets look set to burst after inking a major new deal.

The writer and actress has signed a contract with Amazon, in which she'll exclusively create and produce TV content for the tech giant's Amazon Prime Video service.

The British star, who scored Emmy wins for her two-series dark comedy Fleabag, will reportedly receive up to $20 million (Dh73.5 million) a year as part of the three-year deal, according to Variety.

"I'm insanely excited to be continuing my relationship with Amazon. Working with the team on Fleabag was the creative partnership dreams are made of," said Waller-Bridge, 34, in a statement on Tuesday. "It really feels like home. I can't wait to get going."

Amazon already screens Fleabag in more than 200 countries and territories as part of its streaming service.

So, what can we expect from the deal?

Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a scene from 'Fleabag'. AP

No further details have yet been shared by Waller-Bridge or Amazon on how many series she will produce for the platform.

And, given the diversity of the star's back catalogue, it's hard to predict what her next move might be.

While the wittily offbeat Fleabag told the story of an angry yet relatable thirtysomething woman trying to navigate life and love in London, Waller-Bridge also penned the first season of spy thriller Killing Eve, which followed a cat-and-mouse game between a ruthless assassin and a dogged MI5 officer. Her work on the BBC America show was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series at the 2018 Emmys.

What we do know, however ...

Is that we can expect some sharp dialogue, piquant punchlines and gut-punching emotional highs, based on Waller-Bridge's previous body of work.

We can also expect an array of strong female characters seen without rose-tinted glasses, as has become the star's calling card.

Her expert approach was precisely why she was drafted in to hone the script for upcoming Bond film, No Time to Die.

"There's been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women," Waller-Bridge told Deadline shortly after her co-writing credit was confirmed. "I think he's absolutely relevant now.

“It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.”

Waller-Bridge was also behind 2016 sitcom Crashing, which followed a group of young people in their twenties who live as property guardians in a disused hospital.

She will also work on upcoming HBO series Run, a romantic comedic thriller starring Domhnall Gleeson, which she signed on to executive produce before inking her Amazon deal.

Don't get your hopes up

Waller-Bridge earlier confirmed that fans shouldn't expect a third season of Fleabag any time soon, telling the BBC this year that series two was "the final curtain".

"I have thought about it and there isn't going to be one," she added.

The star did admit, however, that she wasn't putting the show completely to bed at an Amazon event last month.

'Fleabag' stars Andrew Scott, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford and Brett Galman at the Emmys. EPA

"I have a fantasy of bringing Fleabag back when I'm 50," she told attendees.

Waller-Bridge also revealed earlier this year that she was working on writing a new feature film that she intends to direct.

"The day I wrapped Fleabag, I went to bed thinking, 'I'm never going to have another idea again'," the actress and writer told the Hollywood Reporter in April. "I woke up with the vision of this film."

However, Waller-Bridge added that she was seeking theatrical release for the project, which means it will be unlikely to be one of her works streamed on Amazon.