As a huge fan of shows like Fallout, I was really excited for Vince Gilligan‘s new series, Pluribus, and he definitely didn’t disappoint! It’s been a while since he tackled sci-fi – the last time was with The X-Files, and of course, before that, wrapping up everything with Breaking Bad. This is also his first project with Apple TV+, as he’s mostly worked with AMC and Netflix in the past.
In his signature style, focusing on realistic characters and stories, the author presents Pluribus, a tale where a strange virus transforms everyone into calm, obedient people. However, Carol Sturka, a romance novelist who’s perfectly unhappy with her life, stands out. She wants to reverse the effects of the virus and restore the world to normal, while those affected try to convince her to join their peaceful existence.
Ahead of the show’s launch, Graeme Guttmann from ScreenRant interviewed Vince Gilligan to discuss the making of Pluribus. They talked about the first two episodes, which dramatically open with a single, unbroken shot showing the start of the apocalypse and the high stakes involved. Gilligan jokingly mentioned they were fortunate that “Apple provided a generous budget and plenty of time for production.”
As a huge fan, it was so interesting to hear the director talk about the ‘Pluribus’ scene! He said he’s incredibly proud of how it turned out, even though filming it was a massive undertaking – they practically shut down six city blocks in Albuquerque! Apparently, it was a real challenge, but he wanted to immediately show audiences how the world ended up in such a dark place, right from the very beginning of the show.
I wanted the final product to be visually stunning and feel like a movie. I initially imagined needing a huge number of shots with lots of different elements. It proved to be incredibly challenging, but I’m very happy with how it turned out. We even did a full dress rehearsal for each shot before filming it for real.
Gilligan explained that filming the dramatic scene took around 12 hours and required six or seven attempts, with the best take being the last one. He emphasized that his approach to building a team is to hire people who are more skilled than himself. He commended his team’s ability to create the complex, single-shot sequence, noting that he could clearly communicate his vision and then trust them to execute it while he relaxed and had a hot dog.
Gilligan brought on Angie Meyer, his First Assistant Director, who he’d worked with on six episodes of Better Call Saul before. When Gilligan told her he wanted to try a single-take sequence, Meyer was shocked. She remembers thinking he was joking, and even questioning if he realized how difficult it would be.
Notably, Pluribus isn’t the first time Vince Gilligan has used a single, continuous shot. He previously experimented with this technique during Gus Fring’s famous death scene in Breaking Bad. He cleverly combined two shots using CGI and special effects makeup from Greg Nicotero to create the shocking reveal of Giancarlo Esposito’s character’s disfigurement.
The show Better Call Saul also tried a one-shot sequence in season 2. The opening scene, lasting four minutes and 22 seconds, followed a delivery truck going through border control between Mexico and the United States. Unlike a similar scene in Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan wasn’t directly involved in creating this Better Call Saul sequence – he didn’t write or direct it. Instead, the episode was written by Thomas Schnauz and directed by Larysa Kondracki.
Unlike his previous work, Pluribus leans into more experimental filmmaking, offering a fresh take on an apocalypse. Although the creator filmed scenes internationally, the detailed depiction of destruction in Albuquerque suggests the virus might not be as effective as it seems, potentially leading to even greater dangers in future seasons of the Apple TV+ series.
The first two episodes of Pluribus will be available on Apple TV starting November 7th, with new episodes released each Friday after that.
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2025-11-04 02:28