AMC announced on Monday that it is working on a spin-off series to The Walking Dead, the biggest show on cable. The news comes just after AMC announced a spin-off for Breaking Bad, which is ending soon.
In the announcement, AMC said that it is looking to premiere the new show, which it referred to as a 'companion' to The Walking Dead, in 2015. Robert Kirkman, who wrote the original comic book series, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert will be executive producers.
“Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer,” Charlie Collier, AMC’s president and general manager, said in a statement, notes Deadline. He said that the show will feature all new characters, but is set in the same universe. “It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse,” he explained.
“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,” Kirkman added, notes The Hollywood Reporter. “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 is preparing for the end of its critical darlings and adding new original dramas to its schedule. Breaking Bad is ending in a few weeks and Mad Men ends next year. So, the network has already greenlit the bReaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul and is working on a pilot with Walking Dead’s David Morrissey titled Line of Sight. Other upcoming projects include Halt & Catch Fire and Turn.
The Walking Dead’s fourth season kicks off on Oct. 13.
image: AMC