Vince Gilligan Deliberately Steers Clear of ‘Breaking bad’ Universe with New Series ‘Pluribus’
Showrunner Vince Gilligan actively resisted the industry trend of relying on established intellectual property with his latest project, Pluribus, a new series streaming on Apple TV+. Despite the success of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and the return of Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus exists entirely outside that fictional world. Gilligan stated he “wanted to prove to myself that I’m not a one-trick pony,” expressing his frustration with the current media landscape dominated by reboots and adaptations.
Gilligan’s decision reflects a broader critique of the industry’s reliance on existing IP. “we live in an IP world, where the safest thing to do is reboot something that has an audience,” he told Variety. “Every generation deserves its own story, not just thier grandparents’.” The show attracted meaningful studio interest due to Gilligan’s track record, but he ultimately chose Apple TV+ for its promise of creative trust and time. The first two episodes of Pluribus debuted on November 7,with early impressions available from Gamereactor.