It was reported back in November that the long-rumoured Breaking Bad movie was indeed in the works. At the time, it was assumed that the film would revolve around Aaron Paul‘s Jesse Pinkman in some way. That is indeed the case; THR confirms that the film will be a sequel that follows Jesse after the events of the series.
Series creator Vince Gilligan will direct and executive produce the film alongside longtime series collaborators Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein. The film will reportedly “follow the escape of a kidnapped man (Jesse) and his quest for freedom”.
Perhaps more surprising is the news that the film will not air on AMC, the American network that originally introduced Breaking Bad to the world. Netflix will instead air the film first before it runs on AMC later down the line.
Whether a Breaking Bad movie is necessary after the show finished perfectly and is already regarded as one of the greatest pieces of television of all time can be debated until the cows come home. Considering the popularity of the series, a movie was always likely. Especially so after Gilligan and co. proved they could expand the story and not tarnish the original’s legacy with Better Call Saul.
Jesse’s ending in the series was perfect because all we knew was he was free. Hopefully the film can provide some true finality to his story. Finishing the series with a film offers that chance of a definitive ending, rather than a series which can go on for years.
Netflix being chosen to air the film is an interesting choice, though. Although AMC originally aired the series, Netflix really helped the growth of the show soar. Plus, the streaming giant has the far larger platform, and thus does give the film a far bigger stage to premiere on.
Attention will now likely turn to Bryan Cranston‘s iconic Walter White, and whether there is a slot for him in the movie, despite the ending of the show. Either way, this is naturally very exciting news if you are a Breaking Bad fan.
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