After giving us back-to-back highly critical dramas with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Vince Gilligan has now signed with Apple TV+. The showrunner set to create a grounded genre drama, starring Rhea Seehorn, who starred and directed some of the episodes of Better Call Saul.
While details are still sparse, it was confirmed that Apple has already commissioned a two-season, straight-to-series order for its streaming platform. As per a report by Deadline, Gilligan’s script was shopped around the block and had high demand from around 8 to 9 networks. The Breaking Bad showrunner was seeking a budget of $13.5 million-$15 million an episode, which Apple now seems to have met.
While the amount is not in the range of Amazon Prime Video’s $20M-plus-an-episode range for LOTR or HBO’s The House of the Dragon, it certainly falls in the premium drama category. While speaking about his upcoming project, Gilligan said, “After 15 years, I figured it was time to take a break from writing antiheroes… and who’s more heroic than the brilliant Rhea Seehorn? It’s long past time she had her show, and I feel lucky to get to work on it with her.”
Gilligan will serve as showrunner and executive producer on the show, while Sony Pictures will oversee the project. What remains to be seen is if Seehorn will return to the director’s chair once more.
As mentioned earlier, Gilligan has refused to dish out any details. However, reports claim that the new series will be a departure from the world of drugs and crime and will focus on Twilight Zone-esque themes. It is being described as “bending reality and focusing on people and exploring the human condition in an unexpected, surprising way”
The news doesn’t come as a surprise considering Gilligan is a hot commodity in Hollywood right now after back-to-back hits. His latest Better Call Saul, earning 46 Emmy nominations to date, with seven of them coming this year, including a nod for Outstanding Drama Series. However, surprisingly the Bob Odenkirk drama still managed to end its run without a single Emmy win.
