Everyone’s favorite drug dealers came together after 6 years of radio silence and Netflix didn’t skimp on any of the details for the occasion.
For Monday’s premiere located at the Fox Bruin Theatre in Westwood, bleachers were set up for dozens of screaming fans to partake in the celebration. Like drug addicts, no one can seem to get enough of this story. This reunion felt comparable to a highly anticipated Star Wars or Avengers movie being released. I mean it was that over-the-top. Hundreds of desert plants, familiar TV props and even the infamous RV, were imported for the event. The carpet was sand-colored to represent the desert, where the film takes place and there was no shortage of cacti.
To kick things off, the star of Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul, arrived in a low-speed police chase. With sirens blaring, the press were lined up not only on one carpet but two; trying to get a secret from the cast. As Aaron Paul stepped out of the El Camino he had rode in on, you could feel the energy of the crowd. Fans were not only screaming at the top of their lungs but were ready for autographs with Breaking Bad posters and t-shirts in hand– something I haven’t seen on a red carpet in quite some time. There were even men dressed up in DEA costumes holding “Wanted: Jesse Pinkman” signs to add to the affair.
The big names like creator Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, RJ Mitte, Matt Jones, Lavell Crawford, Dean Norris, Giancarlo Esposito, Patrick Fabian, Michael McKean, Jesse Plemons, Steven Michael Quezada, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, Scott MacArthur, were just to name a few who showed up to commemorate the success of this phenomenon. Dressed to the nines with all the glitz and glam, the cast and creators weren’t the only ones who came out. Kirsten Dunst, Sophia Bush, Dereck Hough, Halle Bailey and many others were seen as well.
When the stars finally made their way through the commotion down to the press line, it was clear the secrecy of this film was so high, they were sworn to be lock-lipped throughout the filming process and now was no different.
“I can’t tell you anything about the movie,” Matt L. Jones said.
Realizing what a cultish-fixation viewers have over the series, cast members wouldn’t even share their theories of what might happen during the flick. I asked RJ Mitte to share some of his ideas and he laughed. He then went mute thinking how to respond and then said:
“Um… I don’t know… It’s in El Camino. So… It’s gonna happen… so we’ll see.”
Aaron Paul said it best when simply saying, “People are gonna be thrilled.”
Talk about being on the edge of your seat!
With 16 Emmys and 58 nominations throughout the course of it’s run, Breaking Bad hit record ratings for it’s accomplishments in story-telling. But will there be a part 2 to this film? I asked Kevin Ranvin on his take if creator Vince Gillian would leave enough room for there to be another.
“Well when you’re talking about someone like him [Vince Gilligan] and where we hold him where we hold him is because we can’t really can’t pinpoint why he does what he does, ya know,” Rankin said. “Or else we’d all be doing it.”
He said it’s hard to know what direction Gilligan will go in. But Kevin Rankin was just as surprised as fans when they saw the August trailer release.
“I didn’t think this story had anywhere else to go, really. But then he made a movie out of it,” Rankin said. “So we’ll see.”
EL CAMINO: A Breaking Bad Movie is now playing.
