Tag Archives: The Walking Dead companion series

‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC

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I’ve got an update on the shrouded-in-mystery, hotly anticipated Walking Dead companion series. Following its surprise announcement in 2013 and a pilot greenlight in 2014, The Walking Dead spinoff is definitively a-go at AMC with an early two-season pickup order by the network. The first season is set to premiere in late summer and it will follow in the flagship series’ footsteps with a truncated six episode start. Season two will air in 2016 and its episode count is still TBD. The series’ title is also being kept under wraps, though IMDb is calling it Fear the Walking Dead.

What is there to know about the series so far? Not much. AMC is calling it a “companion series” as opposed to a “spinoff” because although it will take place in The Walking Dead universe, it will feature an entirely new cast and fresh storylines. It will take place in Los Angeles, showing how the zombie outbreak affected that other part of the country (we’ve hovered around Atlanta for the most part with Rick and the gang). Actors tagged to the show include Cliff Curtis (Gang Related, Trauma), Kim Dickens (House of Cards, Sons of Anarchy, Treme, Lost, Deadwood), Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Alycia Debnam Carey (The 100). Sources say Curtis is the male lead and will be playing Sean Cabrera, a divorced teacher trying to do right by everyone; learn more about the potential list of characters at TVLine. See Curtis, Dickens, and Dillane in a production still above; another one hangs after the break.

Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, and David Alpert from The Walking Dead are serving as executive producers of the companion series. Dave Erickson (Marco Polo, Sons of Anarchy) is showrunner and an EP; he co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Kirkman.

AMC president Charlie Collier said this in a statement: “We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the number one show on television. From the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, we’ve been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did ‘turn.’ Through this new series, we’re going to find out. Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson and their writing team, along with an incomparable set of producers, cast and crew have created something remarkable and clearly distinct. We respectfully follow the request of Monty Python as we bring out (the latest of) our Dead.”

Kirkman added: “We feel empowered by this two-season commitment, a serious show of faith from our network partner AMC. I personally take it as a sign that they believe, like we do, that we’ve accomplished our goal of developing something original that can pay tribute to the original show and expand the world I created while at the same time having something new to say with this story. I’m very grateful that we now have the opportunity to tell this amazing story and show the fans that we really haven’t scratched the surface yet when it comes to The Walking Dead.”

And Erikson chimed in: “This vote of confidence from our partners at AMC is gratifying, to say the least. We’ve been blessed with amazing writers and a stellar cast — and we can’t wait to build this apocalyptic drama over the next two seasons and hopefully beyond.”

Stick it here as more details leak out. Currently, The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 10pm on AMC.

Update (3/14): Robert Kirkman briefly discussed the Walking Dead companion series this month during a panel at SXSW. Jump after the break for choice quotes. Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC →

Eye ‘The Walking Dead’ season 5 poster; plus AMC orders companion series pilot

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Here we have The Walking Dead‘s season 5 poster (or key art), and as is tradition, it features Rick Grimes alone: arriving, surviving, and thriving on his newfound confidence and brutality. I’m not sure which is more intimidating–his silver pistol or that ever-growing beard (didn’t Michonne find him a razor awhile back?). The season’s tagline: “Hunt or be hunted.” The Termites of Terminus are, in a word, screwed.

In other Walking Dead news, AMC has ordered a pilot episode of the Walking Dead “companion series” that was originally announced last September. Let’s not call it a spinoff because although the new series will take place in the same zombie apocalypse universe as the flagship series, it will not feature any characters from it. It will follow a completely different band of survivors in a different, still unknown location (read: not in Georgia where the current series takes place). The creatives behind the flagship, namely Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and David Alpert, will also serve as executive producers of the companion series. Dave Erickson (Marco Polo, Sons of Anarchy), who co-created and co-wrote the companion series pilot with Kirkman, will serve as an executive producer and showrunner. The pilot is scheduled to shoot later this year, and if all goes according to plan the network will air a second Walking Dead show sometime in 2015. You want to know what I can’t wait for? Since the new series will take place in the same universe as The Walking Dead, you can bet there will be a crossover episode where Rick and co. intersect with the new survivors and that day will be epic. Jump after the break for press quotes from AMC head Charlie Collier, Kirkman, and Erickson.

The Walking Dead returns Sunday, October 12 at 9PM on AMC. Click here to watch the incredible season 5 trailer. Continue reading Eye ‘The Walking Dead’ season 5 poster; plus AMC orders companion series pilot →

AMC greenlights a ‘Walking Dead’ companion series with Robert Kirkman at the helm

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Shortly after announcing a spinoff series from the land of Breaking Bad in the tentatively titled Better Call Saul, AMC is more than kicking around the idea of launching a new series set in the post-apocalyptic world of their other hugely successful show The Walking Dead. The cabler is calling it a “companion series” and Walking Dead executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and David Alpert are all on board with it. Essentially the new series will take place in the world that Kirkman created in the comics, but it won’t be shackled to his story since it will follow a completely different group of people surviving the zombie apocalypse. The following statements paint a clearer picture for what’s in mind.

Kirkman: “After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.”

AMC president Charlie Collier: “Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer. We look forward to working with Robert, Gale and Dave again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse.”

Seems like a fun idea to me. Can you imagine if storylines intertwined and all of a sudden you saw Rick’s camp interfere with the people in the spinoff. It’s not so far-fetched since the same creative minds are in control of both series. We shall wait and see.

The Walking Dead spinoff won’t air until 2015, so for now you can look forward to the return of the flagship series on October 13.