The "The Walking Dead" universe is expanding: A new spin-off series about the characters Rick Grimes and Michonne Hawthorne is planned. The two actors Andrew Lincoln (48) and Danai Gurira (44) revealed this during a surprise appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego. As "Variety" reports, the series will consist of six episodes and is expected to premiere next year. Scott Gimple (51) will serve as the series' showrunner, with Lincoln and Gurira serving as executive producers.
The new The Walking Dead spin-off is set to tell the epic love story of two characters "transformed by a new world." "Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world built on a war against the dead... and ultimately a war on the living," according to the industry portal Deadline. "In a place and situation they've never known before, can they find each other and who they were?"
The original plan was to complete Rick Grimes' story in a film. But Lincoln has now confirmed those plans have been put on hold and the network is now ending the show. "I am so excited to return to screens as Rick, reunite with Danai as Michonne, and bring fans an epic love story that enriches the 'Walking Dead' universe," Lincoln said in a statement. Gurira is also looking forward to continuing the journey of "these beloved characters".
The original series "The Walking Dead", which celebrates its grand finale this year with season eleven, is about survivors of an apocalyptic event who are threatened by zombies called "walkers" in the midst of a collapsed civilization.
Lincoln's character is a sheriff who led the group of survivors for the first nine seasons. In the ninth season, his people assume he's dead, but later find out he survived a bridge blast. Michonne Hawthorne was there from season three and fell in love with Grimes. The character made her final appearance in season ten when she went in search of him.
After ten years, the American TV broadcaster AMC surprisingly announced in 2020 that "The Walking Dead" ends with the eleventh season. The first eight of the final 24 episodes were already flickering across the screens in summer 2021. It continued in February 2022. The third part is to follow in October.
