Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan once pondered that the extras who make up the hive mind on the dystopian future show should be naked. In addition, he regaled that a top Sony TV executive wasn’t a fan early on of his multi-Emmy winning Breaking Bad, which the studio ultimately produced.
Such stories were part of a panel that he and Pluribus star Rhea Seehorn participated in today at SXSW called, “Albuquerque Aftermath: From Breaking Bad to Pluribus.”
“We talked about they didn’t need to wear clothes at all, but we’re not working for HBO,” Gilligan shared, “But then we thought, we can’t do that to all these extras. We can’t all be naked.”
Seehorn added, laughing, “Can you imagine … if I had to try to act with 300 naked people?”
Blurb for Pluribus: After an alien-transmitted virus infects the world population with the disease of overabundant merriment, just over a dozen survivors remain. Among them: the cantankerous romantasy author Carol Sturka, who must begrudgingly find a way to cure the earth of happiness. Following its premiere on AppleTV, the series landed an early season 2 commitment.
Also during the session, Gilligan told the crowd that his project about a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a meth lord as he battles his cancer —Breaking Bad– received a chilly response from a former Sony Pictures TV suit who told him, “‘That’s the single worst idea I’ve ever heard.'” Gilligan said, “To his credit, he’s a good man, and he acknowledged (what he said was wrong).”
In addition, Gilligan pitched Breaking Bad to HBO, a meeting that didn’t go so hot, the TV creator calling it “a toxic gamma radiation of disinterest” for the project.
Also on today’s panel, which was moderated by Sony Pictures Television President Katherine Pope, were Pluribus composer Dave Porter, costume designer Jennifer Bryan and EP Trina Siopy.
Gilligan gave an update on season 2 at the Apple Press Day on Feb. 7, saying that scribes were “plugging away” and that the series “ain’t gonna be The Pitt coming back every year.”
English (US) ·