Award-Winning Creator Gilligan Himself Reveals the Sci-Fi Influences For His Upcoming Series Pluribus
Following a long break from sci-fi storytelling, the celebrated showrunner is making a comeback back to his roots. Starting out with The Iconic X-Files Series, where he wrote three dozen installments, and also writing the script behind the superhero comedy Hancock, Gilligan devoted the past decade-plus focused on the universe from Breaking Bad. Now, via his new streaming project Pluribus, he’s coming full circle to sci-fi which launched his journey.
A Secretive Plot and Cryptic Trailers
The plot and premise of Pluribus remain closely guarded. Promotional clips and teasers have all been tantalizingly ambiguous. For example, a brief scene shows a woman alone in an office at night calmly lifting donuts out of a box marked “Help yourself!” and licking them before placing them carefully into its place. Reviewers cannot reveal to disclose details about the series’ thrilling premiere, beyond the fact the narrative begins when our modern world changes in a significant way.
The Creator’s Science Fiction Watchlist
Because details on the story or development were off-limits, Gilligan was asked a simple question: Which additional science fiction series or movies should fans see to get ready for Pluribus?
“Each of the original and the remake versions from Body Snatchers; that's a good reference point,” Gilligan explains. “The Twilight Zone, that's always my favorite. The Thing, John Carpenter's version. I like each one, but I particularly love Carpenter’s take.”
An Homage to Science Fiction Enthusiasts
If you’re an admirer of science fiction or scary movies, you will probably identify the tales that influenced Pluribus. The show’s influences aren’t exactly understated — which is exactly the idea. The creator notes his goal for the new show was to riff on the genre itself.
“I was thinking of all the science fiction trope and horror conventions I could incorporate into this show, before turn each one onto their head,” Gilligan adds. “ That’s what made me excited.”
In other words: Pluribus is a science fiction series for genre lovers. Therefore, if you’re coming the show as a Breaking Bad superfan who’s never been into sci-fi, you may want to complete some preparation in advance. The showrunner has now offered the essential watchlist.
Pluribus debuts Nov. 7 via Apple TV.
