Vince Gilligan Prepping New Series; ‘Better Call Saul’ Followup About To Hit TV Marketplace With A Bang
EXCLUSIVE: As Better Call Saul is coming to an end, series co-creator — and Breaking Bad creator — Vince Gilligan is ready for what comes next. And once again, for his next drama project he is going with a wholly original idea. No one would comment, but there is a lot of anticipation in the marketplace for the pitch, which is expected to come out in the next couple of weeks, with at least 8-9 networks and platforms lined up to hear it.
I hear the new project, which comes from Sony Pictures TV where Gilligan has been under an overall deal for a long time, is a departure from the world of drugs and crime he explored in Breaking Bad and its prequel, Better Call Saul, whose series finale airs Aug 15. Word is that the new show harkens back to Gilligan’s tenure on The X-Files. But don’t expect a sci-fi drama — when he was a writer-producer on The X-Files, Gilligan was known for focusing more on the human condition in his episodes, which is something he is said to also be doing in his new series, exploring similar themes of bending reality while holding a mirror to humanity.
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Described as a blended, grounded genre drama, the new series also is being compared to The Twilight Zone. It is said to be set in our world while putting a tweak on it, focusing on people and exploring the human condition in an unexpected, surprising way.
Thought-provoking but not a morality tale, the new show is expected to carry the signature Gilligan tone that infuses drama with humor.
Like he often does with his original creations, Gilligan has written material that is accompanying the pitch, giving buyers a sense of what the new project would look like. I hear it is envisioned to play over a couple of seasons with an overreaching story arc.
One of the most celebrated TV creators of his generation, Gilligan created and executive produced AMC’s acclaimed Breaking Bad, which won two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series. He is co-creator/executive producer, alongside Peter Gould, of the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul, which also has been an awards juggernaut, amassing 46 Emmy nominations to date, seven of them this year, including Outstanding Drama Series. Gilligan also earned multiple Emmy nominations for his work on The X-Files. He is repped by CAA, Storied Media Group and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka.
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