Breaking Bad as the drug kingpin, will not only appear in the AMC series, entitled The Driver, but he is also the executive producer. The first season is a remake of a British crime drama created by Danny Brocklehurst (Safe) and will be released in 2023.
Just like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Esposito will be deep in the world of a criminal enterprise for his AMC follow-up The Driver. Originally situated in Manchester, England - also the filming location of Peaky Blinders - and starring The Walking Dead’s David Morrissey, the six-part American remake will be set in New Orleans and see Brocklehurst developing the adaptation with director Sunu Gonera. Esposito’s character Vince, a taxi driver who becomes a chauffeur for a Zimbabwean gangster involved in human trafficking, will need to keep his cool if he wants to survive in his terrifying new world.
Viewers of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul will be well versed in Esposito’s ability to portray a calm and calculated killer who appears to show no emotion despite his shocking and often brutal actions. Gus' unrealistic death in Breaking Bad eventually crowned his story, but his legacy as a murderous villain will remain legendary. A perfect example of this is Breaking Bad season 4, episode 1, “Box Cutter” where Gus slits the throat of his colleague Victor in order to intimidate Walt and Jesse. But in Esposito’s new series, The Driver, the actor will flip the narrative of his previous character, and instead, he will be working for the big criminals. This will offer a new opportunity for viewers to see Esposito acting in a very different light.
With a list of titles under his belt where he plays a criminal boss, Esposito’s character in The Driver, Vince, will perhaps experience some of the suffering and mind games that Gus Fring inflicted on his own lackeys. While the motivation for Gus’ actions are yet to be revealed through his backstory - the season 6 trailer for Better Call Saul hints these mysteries will be explained - it is likely that he has some form of military training that allows him to act so cold-heartedly. This is unlikely to be the background of a taxi driver from New Orleans.
This change in dynamic will be refreshing not only for Esposito, but also for viewers who are used to seeing him as the top dog. The actor will have to find inspiration from elsewhere to portray a working-class man who drives taxis for a living while doing the dirty work of criminals. How does Vince fall into such an underworld? Whether by accident or design, Vince’s desire for another life—perhaps through boredom, intrigue or desperation - will be channeled through Esposito’s ability to tap into the psyche of the henchmen Gus Fring led on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul - and the many victims he tortured.