Goodbye Albuquerque, Hello Hollywood: ‘Breaking Bad’ Stars Head to the Big Screen

On Sunday night, after five years, the story of Walter White — chemistry teacher turned meth cook turned criminal mastermind — finally came to an end as AMC aired the final episode of "Breaking Bad." Now that the show, a multiple Emmy winner widely acclaimed as one of the best dramatic series in the history of television, is history, a number of the show's leading cast members are taking their talents to the big screen, their drawing power boosted by the show's grand finale.

Heisenberg himself, Bryan Cranston, has already gotten a major push from the success of "Breaking Bad," landing a showy supporting role in last year's Best Picture winner "Argo." He did, though, also pop up in box office duds "John Carter," "Total Recall" and "Rock of Ages." Now that the show has run its course, Cranston will take a leading role in the biggest movie (literally) of his career, the upcoming "Godzilla" reboot. Due for release May 2014, Cranston will headline a cast that includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, and Ken Watanabe.

Cranston also has two other projects due for release soon – the comedy "Get A Job" with Anna Kendrick and Alison Brie, and "Cold Comes The Night," a thriller also starring Alice Eve. In addition, Cranston will be lending his voice talents to "Kung Fu Panda 3," scheduled for release in 2015. He was also recently announced to be heading the cast of an upcoming indie feature about the life of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (writer of "Spartacus" and "Roman Holiday"), slated to being shooting in 2014.

Aaron Paul, who rose to stardom as the street smart but seriously unlucky Jesse Pinkman, already has one big-budget action vehicle in the works; he'll play a street racer looking to make a new name for himself in "Need For Speed." Based on the hugely popular driving video game, the movie also stars Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Kid Cudi and Michael Keaton.

Watch the first trailer for 'Need for Speed':

Paul also had two prestigious projects in the works: he'll be part of the ensemble cast of next year's comedy-drama "A Long Way Down," based on Nick Hornby's best selling novel, alongside Toni Collette, Sam Neill, Pierce Brosnan, and Rosamund Pike. And Paul will portray Joshua in the Old Testament biblical epic "Exodus," also featuring Christian Bale, Ben Kingsley, and Sigourney Weaver. "Exodus" is scheduled to open in time for Christmas 2014. He'll also be in the indie drama "Hellion" from the

Dean Norris, who played swaggering DEA agent Hank Schrader, already has one major motion picture ready to roll; he appears in the thriller "The Counselor," which stars Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz, and opens October 25. And Norris co-stars with Christopher Meloni in the upcoming "Small Time," an independent drama about a used car salesman and his relationship with his son.

Bob Odenkirk, who played ethically flexible lawyer Saul Goodman, has an especially busy schedule: he has four movies expected to go into theaters in 2014, including the horror comedy "Kitchen Sink" with Vanessa Hudgens and Dennis Leary, the drama "Boulevard" co-starring Robin Williams and Kathy Baker, the animated adventure "Hell and Back" (Odenkirk voices the Devil, with Danny McBride, Mila Kunis, and Susan Sarandon also in the cast), and "Girlfriend's Day," an indie comedy-drama also featuring Amber Tamblyn.

In addition, Odenkirk is expected to star in the much anticipated "Breaking Bad" spin-off "Better Call Saul," and you can read about movies Odenkirk wanted to make but didn't in "Hollywood Said No!," a new book that features two unproduced screenplays he co-wrote with his "Mr. Show" co-star David Cross.

Elsewhere, RJ Mitte, who played noted breakfast enthusiast Walter Jr., has been cast in an indie thriller called "The Devil's Ink." Jonathan Banks, who portrayed tough guy Mike Ehrmantraut, appears alongside the equally intimidating Danny Trejo in "Bullet;" Trejo, who also appeared on "Breaking Bad" as the ill-fated Tortuga, will return in October as the wrong Mexican to mess with in "Machete Kills."

Giancarlo Esposito, the cold-blooded meth kingpin Gus Fring, will be seen in "Poker Night" with Ron Perlman. Laura Fraser, the high-strung businesswoman Lydia, has two pictures nearing release, "Wish You Well" and "The Sisterhood of Night." And Matt Jones, the goofy and frequently clueless Badger, has a role in the upcoming horror comedy "Cooties" with Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, and Alison Pill; he also has a recurring role on the new sit-com "Mom."