Breaking Bad (franchise)

Breaking Bad
Created byVince Gilligan
Original workBreaking Bad (2008–2013)
OwnerSony Pictures Television
Years2008–2022
Films and television
Film(s)El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
Television series
Games
Video game(s)Breaking Bad: Criminal Elements (2019)
Audio
Original music
Miscellaneous
Talk shows
Animated short-form series
Adaptations

Breaking Bad is an American neo-Western crime media franchise created by Vince Gilligan, primarily based on the two television series, Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and Better Call Saul (2015–2022), and the film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019).[1][2][3][4][5] The fictional universe is sometimes informally referred to as the "Gilliverse".[6][7]

Breaking Bad revolves around chemistry teacher-turned-methamphetamine drug lord Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his former student and fellow crook Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Better Call Saul, the prequel / sequel series, follows the origins and eventual fate of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), whom Walter and Jesse eventually hire in Breaking Bad, as well as police officer-turned-criminal and cleaner Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), who becomes associated with all three men over the course of both series. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, the sequel film, concludes the story of Jesse, now a fugitive, after the events of Breaking Bad.[8] Gilligan said he felt the three works can be seen independently from one another, but exist in the same framework and need to be viewed together to receive the full experience.[9]

The two television series and the film are set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and give a modernized twist to Westerns set in the region.[10][11] Each of the three entries were produced at Albuquerque Studios and emboldened success for the media in the city and film in the state.[12][13][14] Both series originally aired on AMC, while the film premiered on Netflix, on which the two television series aired internationally (outside of United States).[15][16] The franchise is owned by Sony Pictures Television and received strong critical acclaim; numerous awards were given to Breaking Bad, to Better Call Saul, and to El Camino.[17]

The Breaking Bad franchise has since expanded across several different mediums and multimedia platforms, with varying degrees of contributions from its cast and crew. This includes the talk shows Talking Bad (2013) and Talking Saul (2016–2022), the Spanish-language adaptation Metástasis (2014), the parody musical Faking Bad (2018), and the animated short-form series Slippin' Jimmy (2022).

  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 12, 2021). "Vince Gilligan Inks New Four-Year Overall Deal With Sony Pictures Television". Deadline. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Hedash, Kara (February 17, 2020). "Breaking Bad Timeline Explained: When The Shows & Movie All Take Place". ScreenRant. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  3. ^ Fisher, Kieran (April 12, 2022). "Will There Be Any More Breaking Bad Spin-Offs After Better Call Saul Ends?". Looper.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Dick, Jeremy (June 19, 2022). "AMC Wants Another Breaking Bad Show After Better Call Saul Ends". MovieWeb. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  5. ^ "How 'Better Call Saul' Keeps an Entire Franchise in Demand - Charts". TheWrap. April 25, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  6. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 18, 2020). "'Better Call Saul' EP Melissa Bernstein On 'Legal Ethics' Short-Form Series, "Sewing Up" Saul Goodman's Story & Getting "Complicated Show" Back On Set Amidst Pandemic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  7. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (August 14, 2018). "'Better Call Saul' Recap: Chicken a la Kingpin". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  8. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (August 24, 2019). "'Breaking Bad' Movie, Starring Aaron Paul, Coming to Netflix in October". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  9. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (October 15, 2019). "'Breaking Bad' Creator Vince Gilligan on 'El Camino' and Rooting for Jesse Pinkman". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Bernhardt, Mark (April 3, 2019). "History's Ghost Haunting Vince Gilligan's New Mexico: Genre, Myth, and the New Western History inBreaking Bad". Journal of Popular Film and Television. 47 (2). Informa UK Limited: 66–80. doi:10.1080/01956051.2018.1512948. ISSN 0195-6051. S2CID 199222100.
  11. ^ ""Breaking Bad" as a Modern Western: Revising Frontier Myths of Masculinity, Savagery, and Empire". ProQuest. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  12. ^ ""Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" to be filmed in Albuquerque". CBS News. May 15, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  13. ^ "'Breaking Bad' brings tourists to Albuquerque". Fox News. Associated Press. March 15, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  14. ^ Zollner, Amelia (July 11, 2022). "Albuquerque Erecting Statues of Walter White And Jesse Pinkman". IGN. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 15, 2011). "DONE: AMC & Sony TV Reach Deal For 16-Episode Final Order Of 'Breaking Bad'". Deadline. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  16. ^ Bloom, Madison (August 24, 2019). ""Breaking Bad" Film Coming to Netflix, Trailer Shared: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  17. ^ "Breaking Bad". Sony Pictures Museum. Retrieved July 21, 2022.