AMC, the network which owns The Walking Dead franchise, is keen on making yet another series based in its universe, bringing the total up to three.
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Along with the original Walking Dead series – which first aired in 2010 and is still running – a second series called Fear the Walking Dead premiered in August of 2015 featuring new characters. A third entry would allow AMC to “come to the marketplace with completely uninterrupted ‘Walking Dead’ universe content from post-Super Bowl Sunday (Feb 2) to Thanksgiving (Oct 14),” ad sales president for AMC, Scott Collins, said in a recent interview.
In other words, it’s easy money for the network, which made US $240.2 million ($336.6 million) in ad revenue in 2018. It would also mean there would be zombie shit running almost all year.
The new series doesn’t have a title just yet, but it’s believed to feature stories from the broader Walking Dead universe and debut in 2020. It’ll centre around two female characters according to AMC’s president of entertainment networks, Sarah Barnett, who said similar characters featured in previous episodes “have resonated” with viewers.
“We believe in the underlying vitality of the ‘Walking Dead” universe,” she said. “This show just continues to be an incredible boon for us. It’s something another cable or streaming network would actually kill for.”
Matt Negrete, who was a writer and producer on the OG Walking Dead for five years will be the showrunner for this new series. It’ll begin filming in the US in their summer, so our winter.
This is probably great news if you’re a Walking Dead fan, but bloody hell, it seems a little excessive, no? It’s certainly going to be a big year for zombies in both TV and video games, that’s for sure.
