The Walking Dead may be reaching its tenth season this fall, but AMC has big plans to expand the brand in new, exciting ways, an initiative that was kicked off last November with the announcement of Andrew Lincoln’s movie trilogy. Today also brought the news that a second, currently untitled, female-centric spinoff show is in the works. And the best part is that it should be with us fairly soon.
When speaking to Vulture, president of AMC’s entertainment networks group Sarah Barnett was asked if it was a “99 percent or 100 percent” certainty that this third series set in the TWD universe would arrive in the next couple of years. She replied that this was indeed the case, saying: “We’re feeling pretty good about the development of show three. Yup.”
However, Barnett was unable to confirm that there would be previews and footage ready in time for the upfronts season, where networks show off their upcoming fall and midseason series.
“These things, you just never know,” she said. “You just never, ever know how difficult deals are. You think you’re close to something you’re not; you think you’re not, you are. It’s just difficult to know if all the pieces line up.”
This new spinoff follows on from the release of Fear the Walking Dead back in 2015. Created by chief creative officer Scott M. Gimple and showrunner Matt Negrete, it’ll star two young female protagonists and focus on the first generation to come of age after the apocalypse. As further proof that the show will be with us sooner rather than later, it’s due to start filming in Virginia this summer, while a 10-episode first season has already been commissioned.
2019 and 2020 are set to be two great years for Walking Dead fans, as we have confirmed new runs of TWD and Fear to come, this new spinoff show and at least a couple of those Rick Grimes movies. As such, it’s safe to say that the franchise is better health than ever and we can’t wait to see comes next.