A new The Walking Dead spin-off is reportedly in the works
To date, there are already two different shows in this universe (think the flagship and Fear the Walking Dead) and beyond that, there are also movies in development starring Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes. It’s possible more movies could exist down the line and beyond all of that, this show and the comics have created an empire that includes video games, merchandise, web series, and so much more. Comic author Robert Kirkman at this point can sleep on a bed made entirely of money.
Want some more The Walking Dead video coverage? – We spoke recently about the news of Danai Gurira’s possible exit from the show — be sure to check that video out at the bottom of this article! For more updates on this show, the best thing to do is subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube — you can also view our official Walking Dead playlist if you want even more.
So what could this new spin-off be about? Alas, there isn’t exactly all that much when it comes to definitive details out there. Speaking during a quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts, AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan (per Deadline) reportedly mentioned the plan to add another show to the universe. That’s something that COO Ed Carroll elaborated on further:
“We’re not at a stage where we’ll be announcing its plans to premiere … But we have hired creative people that have pitched story outlines. We feel very good about the development of that series. We’re not in a position to talk about partnerships in terms of other territories or ancillary windows, other than that there’s a healthy appetite for it and we’ve had a number of conversations with a lot of players in the space.”
We agree with the viability of The Walking Dead as a major television brand in 2019, but we do argue somewhat with the notion of appetite. Are there really that many viewers out there thirsty for more of this series? This feels like a market that is already saturated (by their own doing) and the ratings for the main show aren’t what they were. Sure, if you do want to compare this to other cable shows out there the ratings are still good … but it does all really come down to what you view as “successful” television programming in 2019 and if it will still be successful if it is spread out as thin as the network is planning.
When could this show premiere?
Given that this “announcement” feels a little more like a leak than something AMC necessarily wanted out there just yet, and we have a feeling that we will be waiting for a while to get some other news. The earliest we envision a premiere is 2020, but there’s no guarantee that this even happens. “In development” does not mean “hey, you’re for sure getting a show!” — it doesn’t quite work like that.
Do you think that the world really needs another The Walking Dead spin-off show?
Be sure to share some of your thoughts on the subject below! (Photo: AMC.)