Award-Winning Creator Gilligan Shares the Science Fiction Influences Behind His Upcoming Show Titled Pluribus
After an extended hiatus away from sci-fi storytelling, the celebrated showrunner is staging a return back to where he began. Launching his career with The X-Files, in which he penned 30 episodes, plus even crafting the screenplay for Will Smith’s film Hancock, the creator devoted the past decade-plus immersed in the world from Breaking Bad. This fall, via his latest streaming series Pluribus, he’s coming full circle to the genre which kicked off his career.
A Secretive Plot with Cryptic Trailers
The plot and concept of Pluribus remain top secret. The trailers and previews have all been intentionally ambiguous. In one, a short clip depicts a female character alone at work after hours calmly lifting donuts out of a container labeled “Feel free!” and licking them prior to returning the treats neatly back in its place. Reviewers cannot reveal to disclose anything about the show’s thrilling first episode, except that the narrative begins as our modern world changes dramatically.
Gilligan’s Sci-Fi Watchlist
Since specifics on the story or production were off-limits, Gilligan was asked an innocuous inquiry: Which additional sci-fi shows or movies should viewers see to prepare for Pluribus?
“Each of the original and the remake adaptations from Body Snatchers; that’s an excellent reference point,” Gilligan explains. “Twilight Zone, that’s forever my go-to. The Thing, the John Carpenter version. I like each one, though I particularly love the John Carpenter version.”
An Homage to Sci-Fi Enthusiasts
If you’re a fan of science fiction or scary movies, you’ll likely identify the tales inspiring Pluribus. Its inspirations are far from understated — and that’s exactly the idea. Gilligan says his goal with the new show was to play with sci-fi tropes.
“My thought process involved of all the sci-fi clichés and horror-movie trope I could throw into the series, and then flip all of those tropes upside down,” he adds. “ That was what tickled me.”
Put simply: Pluribus is a sci-fi show for genre lovers. Therefore, if you approach to it being a Breaking Bad superfan who’s never been into sci-fi, you may want to do a bit of homework beforehand. Gilligan has now offered the essential watchlist.
Pluribus premieres Nov. 7 on Apple TV.
