Ratings might not be as high for The Walking Dead as they once were, but AMC clearly sees the long-running zombie show as one of its most important properties. There are several movies in the works, and last month it was reported that a new Walking Dead spin-off show was in “active development.” It has now been confirmed that the spin-off has been picked up for a full season.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new as-yet-untitled Walking Dead show will have a 10-episode first season. The new show has been created by long-time Walking Dead writer Matt Negrete and Scott Gimple, the franchise’s chief content officer. Negrete will also act as showrunner.
In a statement, Negrete said: “I’m beyond excited to be a part of this new show set in The Walking Dead universe. Writing and producing for the original series has been the job of a lifetime and I’m honored to be working with Scott and all the fine Dead folks at AMC in this new capacity. I can’t wait for the fans of the franchise to see what we’ve been cooking up!”
The new Walking Dead spin-off will join Fear the Walking Dead, which is set during the early months of the zombie apocalypse and premiered in 2015. The fifth season is due later this year.
The Walking Dead movies, meanwhile, were announced in November last year and are expected to focus on the character of Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln. Lincoln left the main show at the start of the most recent ninth season, but Gimple confirmed that he will return for the films, along with co-star Pollyanna McIntosh, who plays Jadis. It is unknown when they are likely to be released, but the first movie is expected to start filming this year.
Recent audience numbers for The Walking Dead are nowhere near the numbers it enjoyed in 2014, when the Season 5 premiere became the most watched cable show of all time. Nevertheless, it is still the most popular drama on cable, and as The Wrap notes, its audience decline is in line with a fall in cable viewers across the board.
