While numerous TV shows and films have had to hit pause because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, one franchise that won’t be impacted by them in the short term is The Walking Dead. So, while many series have been delayed because of this situation, the AMC Networks CEO explained why TWD’s upcoming shows are able to stick to their planned release dates.
The state of spinoffs like The Walking Dead's Dead City, Daryl Dixon and The Ones Who Live, were all clarified by Kristin Dolan, AMC Networks CEO, on a second-quarter earnings call, per Deadline. She acknowledged the strikes, and she went on to share the news that the popular zombie franchise won’t be impacted by them anytime soon:
We greatly value the work of our creative partners and hope these disputes can be resolved as quickly and fairly as possible. In the short term, the reality for AMC Networks is that we have a pipeline of finished shows that will allow us to continue to serve our viewers across all of our platforms for the remainder of this year and well into 2024.
It’s important to note that some shows can keep working during these strikes. House of the Dragon is still in production because its scripts were finished before the writers' strike began, and their contracts for the actors through Equity, not SAG-AFTRA. Also, independent movies who received a waiver from SAG-AFTRA are also allowed to keep working. In the case of The Walking Dead, they currently aren’t shooting anything. The reason they're not delayed is because their productions were already wrapped before the strikes began.
Based on the 2023 TV schedule, two of the three shows listed will premiere or have already aired this year. At the moment, Dead City is airing, and The Walking Dead: Dead City’s cast is led by Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan and Lauren Cohan’s Maggie. Following their show, Norman Reedus’ spinoff Daryl Dixon will premiere on September 10.
Both shows have and will air on time, per Dolan, however, Dead City got renewed for Season 2 and it’s unclear how the strike will affect production.
Moving into 2024, Dolan noted that their programming will stay on track for a good portion of the year. I assume this includes The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which will see the return of TWD OG Andrew Lincoln and fan-favorite Danai Gurira. The series will bring back Rick and Michonne, and while it has no set premiere date, it should come out sometime next year.
While we have to wait for new seasons from shows impacted by the strikes, like Abbott Elementary, Yellowjackets and The Last Of Us, we can look forward to The Walking Dead’s various shows premiering as planned. So, your AMC+ subscription is in order, because TWD isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
