Now that “Breaking Bad” has reached its end with less vitriol than normal for a series finale, the focus naturally shifts to its creator Vince Gilligan‘s next move, and also how well the show’s legacy can be protected. As it turns out his next project will address both, as Gilligan has hopped onboard the Saul Goodman prequel “Better Call Saul” for AMC, and aside from bringing back Bob Odenkirk in the lead role, a new article suggest that we haven’t seen the last of Walt and Jesse either.
In an extensive profile on THR (via Collider), Gilligan addresses his decision to join showrunner (and Saul’s creator) Peter Gould for the new show, and most notably explains their decision to switch from an initially intended half-hour comedy format into a more traditional one-hour drama template—one that carries on the signature visual look of “Breaking Bad.” “We’re both one-hour drama guys, so we figured, ‘Why not shoot ‘Saul; in the same way?’ ” he says. “Let’s shoot it in Albuquerque, let’s get as much of the crew back together as possible, and let’s do it the way we did it before so that it will be of a piece with that preexisting fictional universe that we had so much fun creating.”
Gilligan says that the comedic aspects of Odenkirk’s character will still remain, he and the writers are well aware they need to locate “that ongoing itch that Saul needs to scratch” for the dramatic thrust of the prequel to stay effective. He also hasn’t ruled out potential pre-meth drop-ins from Walt (Bryan Cranston) or Jesse (Aaron Paul), saying he’d “have a hard time resisting putting all these guys in for a cameo or two every now and then.”
In addition to prepping both his CBS drama series “Battle Creek” and unconfirmed feature-length directorial debut, Gilligan will direct the “Better Call Saul” pilot and also remain in the writers room through the first season. He says a premiere date of August or September on AMC is likely, so keep your eyes peeled next year for the opportunity to let more “Breaking Bad” into your life… but is it a good idea to keep adding to the show’s legacy? Does the fictional world of Walter White need to keep expanding or should Gilligan just let it go already? Let us know below.