A ‘Breaking Bad’ Feature Film by the Original Team Is in Production
Movie created by Vince Gilligan’s team will track the fortunes of an escaped kidnap victim. It starts shooting in Albuquerque soon.
REUTERS
Fans of Walter White’s unusual chemistry lessons will be delighted to hear that a new Breaking Bad feature film is in the works.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Breaking Bad’s writer and producer, Vince Gilligan, is penning the script for the new two-hour movie, which has the “possible fake/working title of Greenbrier.”
The New Mexico Film Office confirmed to The Albuquerque Journal that a project with the title of Greenbrier is slated to shoot in in the region.
According to the logline quoted by The Albuquerque Journal, Greenbrier tracks the escape of a kidnapped man and his quest for freedom.
“We are happy to welcome Greenbrier and Sony Studios to New Mexico,” said New Mexico State Film Office Director Nick Maniatis. “For years, we’ve built up the film industry in New Mexico and strengthened our film incentives; now, we’re seeing success after success for the film industry in our state.”
The original Emmy Award-winning series was set in Albuquerque, and filmed there for six years.
The Hollywood Reporter says it is “unclear” if the film is being made with an eye to theatrical release or is intended to go direct to TV, and representatives for Gilligan and Breaking Bad studio Sony Pictures Television did not respond to requests for comment.
While precise details on the project are few and far between (it’s not known, for example, if any of the original stars, such as Bryan Cranston or Aaron Paul, are involved, or whether the new film is a Better Call Saul-style prequel or a sequel) sources stressed to The Hollywood Reporter that the new story “will be set in the existing Breaking Bad franchise” and that the original Breaking Bad team are involved.
The movie would mark Gilligan’s first project to stem from a three-year, $50 million deal he signed with Sony TV in July, despite reportedly being offered a more lucrative deal with Netflix.
Sony desperately needs a fresh hit—it notably failed to shine at this year’s upfronts, landing just one new series across the five broadcast networks.