After initially testing the waters for more than a year with rumors of a third Walking Dead series potentially being on the way, AMC has made things official. A series order was confirmed for another zombified spinoff set within the Walking Dead universe. And this sounds like the creative powers that be are trying to shake things up.
Here's the basic hook for the new series, which will be lead by a pair of female characters.
[The show will] feature two young female protagonists and focus on the first generation to come-of-age in the apocalypse as we know it. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. In the end, all of them will be changed forever. Grown-up and cemented in their identities, both good and bad.
If the phrasing of "first generation" tickles your fancy, it's probably for the right reasons. While no specific timeline has been revealed, this new Walking Dead series is set in an "unseen pocket" of the post-apocalyptic world, which likely means it'll take place in an undisclosed point in the future. Don't expect The Jetsons, though.
While no character details were revealed, one can assume that many fans out there are hoping to see Judith Grimes as one of those female leads. It would make sense, considering Judith's entire life has taken place after the zombie outbreak. The same could be said for Aaron's daughter Gracie, who was rescued from that Savior outpost, or even Earl's infant that Connie saved from the Whisperers. Those characters all have some memorable childhoods to hang a TV future on.
The new Walking Dead series is being co-created by longtime Dead-head Scott Gimple, who currently serves as Chief Content Officer for the AMC franchise, and Walking Dead writer/producer Matt Negrete, who first joined the show in Season 4. Negrete will serve as the showrunner for the still-untitled spinoff.
Here's the statement from Scott Gimple, who made the "unseen pocket" comment himself.
Showing audiences an unseen pocket of The Walking Dead universe steeped in a new mythology is a very cool way to celebrate a ‘Decade of the Dead’ on TV and over 15 years of Robert Kirkman’s brilliant comic. Matt Negrete is one of the best writer-producers in TWD’s long history — I’m thrilled to be working beside him to tell stories unlike we’ve seen before, taking our first step into an even larger world.
Though this new Walking Dead series likely won't have direct connections to the flagship series, there could definitely be reverberations felt, leading to easter eggs and references galore. That said, it may very well tie into whatever the big mysterious community was at the other end of Rick's helicopter ride, or wherever Maggie and Georgie are. I bet it doesn't take place completely in the snow, though.
No release dates are available yet, of course, but the goal is to get this new Walking Dead project in front of AMC viewers in 2020. Production is scheduled to begin over the summer.
