After 11 seasons, The Walking Dead is set to air its final episodes this fall. While the moment comes as bittersweet for fans of the series, those who are devoted to the franchise can take solace in a number of spinoff series that will soon begin production. A 6-episode mini-series following series leads Rick Grimes and Michonne Hawthorne was recently announced at San Diego Comic-Con, while another featuring fan favorites Daryl and Carol will also debut on AMC in the near future. A third series entitled The Walking Dead: Dead City is also scheduled to hit TV screens next year. Dead City will follow Negan and Maggie as they head off on a new adventure in New York. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Negan actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan reveals that he originally intended to leave the franchise before being persuaded to return for Dead City.
Morgan notes that once filming for the final season of The Walking Dead began, he felt anxious to finish Negan’s journey and wrap up the reformed villain’s storyline. The actor changed his mind when he learned of Dead City‘s storyline, saying that it reinvigorated his interest in playing the character. In The Walking Dead universe, the island of Manhattan is overrun by zombies after government officials destroy all the bridges and tunnels to the city, turning the once thriving metropolis into a haven for millions of the undead. It is in this atmosphere that Negan and Maggie head to the Big Apple.
While Morgan is happy to be reprising his character again, he concedes a degree of frustration in AMC announcing the new series so early. Morgan notes that since the series was announced long before the premiere of the final episodes of the original series, it takes some of the excitement out of the event since fans already know that Negan and Maggie will not die. Despite this bit of disappointment, Morgan says that filming Dead City has been an amazing experience. The actor says that while The Walking Dead features an ensemble cast that allows for a more leisurely filming schedule, Dead City puts Negan and Maggie front and center, making it necessary for him to film scenes of Negan’s characteristic witty dialogue for long hours.
The Walking Dead begins airing its final 8 episodes on October 2.