Award-Winning Creator Gilligan Himself Shares the Science Fiction Inspirations Behind The Upcoming Show Pluribus
After a long break from the science fiction genre, Vince Gilligan is staging a return back to his roots. Starting out with The Iconic X-Files, where he penned three dozen installments, plus even crafting the script behind Will Smith’s film Hancock, the creator has spent recent years focused on the world from Breaking Bad Universe. This fall, with his latest Apple TV project Pluribus, he’s coming full circle to the genre which kicked off his career.
A Mysterious Plot and Cryptic Trailers
The plot and concept for Pluribus are top secret. The trailers and teasers have all been intentionally vague. In one, a short clip depicts a woman alone in an office at night nonchalantly taking pastries from a container marked “Help yourself!” and licking each one before returning them neatly back in its place. Reviewers cannot reveal to disclose anything regarding the series’ explosive first episode, except that the narrative kicks off when our modern world transforms in a significant way.
Gilligan’s Science Fiction Watchlist
Since details on the story or production were off-limits, Gilligan fielded a simple question: Which other sci-fi shows or films should fans see to get ready for Pluribus?
“Each of the 1956 and 1978 adaptations from Invasion of the Body Snatchers; that's a good reference point,” Gilligan explains. “Twilight Zone, that’s forever my go-to. The Thing, John Carpenter's version. I like each one, though I especially like Carpenter’s take.”
An Homage to Sci-Fi Fans
If you’re an admirer of science fiction or scary movies, you’ll likely identify the stories that influenced Pluribus. Its inspirations are far from subtle — and that’s exactly the idea. Gilligan says his goal with this series was to riff on sci-fi tropes.
“I was thinking of every sci-fi clichés and horror conventions I could incorporate into the series, before flip all of those tropes onto their head,” Gilligan says. “ That was what tickled me.”
Put simply: Pluribus serves as a science fiction series aimed at sci-fi fans. So if you approach to it being a Breaking Bad superfan who isn’t typically into sci-fi, you may want to complete a bit of homework beforehand. Gilligan has now offered the curriculum.
Pluribus premieres Nov. 7 on Apple TV.
