Vince Gilligan Shares His Science Fiction Inspirations Behind The New Series Titled Pluribus
Following an extended hiatus away from the science fiction genre, the celebrated showrunner is making a return back to his roots. Launching his career on The Iconic X-Files Series, in which he penned 30 episodes, plus even writing the script for Will Smith’s film Hancock, Gilligan devoted the past decade-plus immersed in the universe from Breaking Bad. This fall, with his latest streaming project Pluribus, he returns full circle toward sci-fi which kicked off his journey.
A Secretive Plot with Vague Teasers
The storyline and premise for Pluribus remain closely guarded. Promotional clips and previews are tantalizingly vague. In one, a short clip depicts a female character by herself in an office at night nonchalantly taking pastries from a container marked “Help yourself!” then tasting each one prior to returning them carefully back in the box. Reviewers cannot reveal to disclose anything about the show’s explosive premiere, beyond that the story kicks off as our modern world transforms in a significant way.
Gilligan’s Sci-Fi Watchlist
Because specifics about the plot or development were off-limits, the showrunner fielded an innocuous question: Which other sci-fi shows or movies should fans see to prepare before Pluribus?
“Each of the original and the remake adaptations from Body Snatchers; that’s an excellent reference point,” he explains. “The Twilight Zone, that's always my go-to. The Thing, the John Carpenter film. I enjoy each one, though I especially like Carpenter’s take.”
An Homage for Sci-Fi Fans
For those who are an admirer of sci-fi or horror, you’ll likely identify the tales inspiring Pluribus. The show’s influences are far from understated — which is the point. Gilligan notes his goal with the new show was to play with sci-fi tropes.
“My thought process involved of every science fiction trope and horror-movie trope I could throw into this show, before flip all of those tropes upside down,” he adds. “ That’s what made me excited.”
Put simply: Pluribus is a science fiction series aimed at genre lovers. Therefore, if you’re coming to it as a Breaking Bad superfan who’s never been into sci-fi, it’s wise to do a bit of homework in advance. The showrunner just provided the curriculum.
Pluribus premieres Nov. 7 on Apple TV+.
