🔗 Share this article Award-Winning Creator Gilligan Himself Reveals the Sci-Fi Influences Behind His Upcoming Show Pluribus Following an extended hiatus from the science fiction genre, Vince Gilligan is staging a return back to his roots. Starting out on The Iconic X-Files, where he wrote three dozen installments, and even crafting the screenplay for the superhero comedy Hancock, the creator has spent recent years immersed in the world from Breaking Bad. This fall, via his new Apple TV project Pluribus, he’s coming back home toward sci-fi which launched his career. A Secretive Premise with Vague Teasers The plot and premise of Pluribus are closely guarded. Promotional clips and previews have all been tantalizingly vague. For example, a short clip shows a woman by herself at work at night calmly taking donuts from a box marked “Feel free!” and licking each one prior to placing the treats neatly into its place. Reviewers aren’t allowed to say details regarding the show’s thrilling first episode, except that the story begins as our modern world changes in a significant way. Gilligan’s Sci-Fi Recommendations Since details on the story or development were off-limits, the showrunner fielded an innocuous inquiry: Which additional science fiction series or movies ought viewers see to prepare for Pluribus? “Each of the 1956 and 1978 adaptations from Body Snatchers; that’s an excellent reference point,” Gilligan states. “Twilight Zone, that’s forever my favorite. The Thing, John Carpenter's version. I enjoy each one, though I particularly love Carpenter’s take.” An Homage to Science Fiction Fans For those who are an admirer of science fiction or scary movies, you’ll likely recognize the tales inspiring Pluribus. The show’s influences aren’t exactly subtle — which is the point. Gilligan says his aim for the new show was to riff on sci-fi tropes. “I was thinking of all the sci-fi clichés and horror conventions I could throw into the series, and then turn each one upside down,” Gilligan says. “ That was made me excited.” In other words: Pluribus is a science fiction series aimed at genre lovers. So if you’re coming the show as a Breaking Bad devotee who isn’t typically into science fiction, you may want to do a bit of homework in advance. Gilligan just provided the essential watchlist. Pluribus debuts November 7 on Apple TV+.