Better Call Saul creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould are open to more Breaking Bad spinoffs. Created solely by Gilligan, Breaking Bad aired on AMC in 2013, introducing audiences to the high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) who, recently diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer, teams up with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to manufacture and sell crystal methamphetamine in order to secure his family's financial future. Since ending its acclaimed run in 2013, Breaking Bad has already spawned more than one spinoff.
In Breaking Bad season 2, episode 8, "Better Call Saul," (which was written by Gould), Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) makes his first appearance as the crooked strip-mall lawyer who advises Walt and Jesse. The character was such as hit that his role was expanded and before the series was over, Gilligan and Gould began developing a prequel series for Odenkirk's fan-favorite attorney, which premiered in 2015 and is now entering its final season. Other than Better Call Saul, a sequel film written and directed by Gilligan, El Camino, which chronicles Jesse's getaway from the neo-Nazi compound, was released on Netflix in 2019.
During the red carpet premiere of Better Call Saul season 6, Gilligan and Gould were asked by Deadline about the prospect of more Breaking Bad spinoffs. The duo sounded open to the possibility, though it's not something that will likely happen in the immediate future, as they both expressed interest in taking a break from the Breaking Bad universe to pursue other projects. Read what they had to say below:
Gould: I love these characters, I love this world. Maybe someday, but personally I’m going to take a little break from that world and try something else, just to prove that I can.
Gilligan: I think that’s my answer too. There are stories left to tell, but it’s not proving something to the world, it’s about proving something to yourself. That thing I’m working on, hopefully someone will want to buy it, someone will want to make it.
In terms of Breaking Bad spinoffs, a full-fledged origin story for meth kingpin and Los Pollos Hermanos owner Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) has long remained at the top of the list for potential prequels, with Esposito recently reiterating his interest. Better Call Saul has introduced several complex protagonists strong enough to support their own spinoff, such as Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). Though with the fate of Jimmy McGill's wife and closest confidante still up in the air, it's unclear what form such a spinoff would take.
In somewhat bad news for Breaking Bad fans, Gilligan and Gould will both be pursuing projects unrelated to the AMC crime dramas in the immediate future. In fact, Gilligan revealed his next television show is very different from Breaking Bad. However, that doesn't rule out the possibility of Gilligan or Gould returning to this rich universe later on down the line, or another writer developing the next spinoff. In the meantime, fans can enjoy the final season of Better Call Saul premiering on April 18.
Source: Deadline