Amazon Prime's 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' Series Loses Major Star
Amazon Prime's planned Mr. and Mrs. Smith series has lost one of its major stars. Deadline reports that Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) has exited the project, which she was set to co-executive produce and star in alongside Donald Glover. According to the outlet, Waller-Bridge's decision to leave the series was due to creative differences with Glover, but things between the pair are said to have ended amicably.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith an update of the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie hit action-comedy film from 2005, which was directed by Doug Liman. It followed a married couple who'd fallen into a lull in their relationship, only to discover that they were each secretly employed by competitive assassin-for-hire agencies. While Waller-Bridge will no longer be part of the new project, Glover is still very much attached, and it seems the project will move forward. It is still in the scripting phase, with a tentative filming schedule of sometime in early 2022.
Waller-Bridge has quite a lot going on lately, so fans will still have plenty of opportunities to see her in action. Currently, she is in the process of filming her role in the new untitled Indiana Jones sequel. She also recently had a recurring role on Season 2 of the HBO/BBC series His Dark Materials, and she was a co-writer on the new James Bond film, No Time To Die.
As for Glover, he has many projects in the pipeline as well, including one with Malia Obama and Watchmen writer Janine Nabers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources say that Glover recently signed an eight-figure overall deal with Amazon, which would include the newly proposed series, said to be titled Hive, that will revolve around a Beyoncé-esque character. Nabers is reported to be the lead scribe, with Obama rumored to have been tapped to join the show's writers room. Notably, THR states that Amazon declined to comment on all aspects of this report.
Glover's deal with Amazon may also include a content channel. This would likely include the media he produces for the service, as well as other curated content. Glover's brother, Stephen — who works with him on the FX series Atlanta — is said to have inked an Amazon deal as well. Relatedly, Atlanta has completed filming on its third season, and has already begun filming its fourth. Season 3 is expected to debut sometime in early 2022.