In a move that might surprise and disappoint some fans, AMC has revealed the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul won’t be back on the air for its fifth season until 2020. The news came from an interview Vulture had with Sarah Barnett, the president of entertainment networks group at AMC.
Barnett cited the creative needs of Better Call Saul‘s writers as to why the series is taking a longer break than usual to develop the next season. “It’s driven by talent needs, which we would not override if it would result in a worse show,” Barnett told the outlet.
Whether the fifth season of Better Call Saul will be its last is unknown at this point. Barnett kept coy about how long the show could last, only saying “We know clearly the end was already written before the beginning began. The writers, they have a very particular, very clear sense of the arc of their show.” It has been inching closer to the Breaking Bad era, though, as Jimmy McGill is transforming more and more into the Saul Goodman persona of the series along with the inclusion of other well-known Breaking Bad characters like Gus Fring and the creation of his superlab. Breaking Bad itself only ran for five season with the final one being split into two eight-episode segments.
SEE ALSO: Why Better Call Saul is quickly surpassing the quality of Breaking Bad
While fans will have to wait longer for Better Call Saul, there is still more of the Breaking Bad world to look forward to. Vince Gilligan is working on a Breaking Bad film which he will write, executive produce and may even direct himself. Very little is known about the project, though it follows the escape of a kidnapped man and his quest for freedom – a very likely reference to the fate of Aaron Pauls’ Jesse Pinkman after Breaking Bad‘s finale. Rumours from January suggested Paul would star in the film alongside his Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston as Walter White as well as Krysten Ritter as Jesse’s girlfriend Jane as well as many other characters from both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Considering Walter and Jane’s fates in the show, the film could be set during and after the series, though this is still unconfirmed.