Vince Gilligan lines up first drama series away from the world of Breaking Bad

The HBO miniseries will focus on the 1978 Jonestown mass suicide

Vince Gilligan (AFP/Getty Images)

Vince Gilligan has been writing material set in the world of Breaking Bad for eight years now which is only set to continue: prequel spin-off Better Call Saul was this year renewed for a third season.

It's been reported that the showrunner now has a new project on the horizon and one that doesn't feature any characters from his beloved New Mexico-set shows. Instead, it'll focus on Jonestown.

Titled Raven, the series will tell the story of Jim Jones and the mass suicide of over 900 of his followers (including over 276 children) that occurred at the People's Temple in 1978. The project will be based on Raven: The Untold Story of Jim Jones and His People by Tim Reiterman, a journalist who joined a group of individuals on an ill-fated visit to the commune which led to the murder of three journalists and Congressman Leo Ryan.

Octavia Spencer (The Help) optioned the material bringing both Gilligan and Michelle McClaren - director of several Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones episodes - on board.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, A&E network is working alongside producer Jake Gyllenhaal on an anthology series focusing on cult leaders; Jim Jones will be the subject of season one.

In 2015, comedy series Battle Creek was released based on a script Gilligan had written ten years previous; after 13 episodes, the show was cancelled by CBS.