The Walking Dead showrunner hints at revival amid spinoff success

AMC could conceivably follow up the Walking Dead spinoffs with a revival of the original series, according to showrunner Scott Gimple.

Based on the Image Comics series of the same name, The Walking Dead first aired on AMC in October 2010. It was a massive hit for the network and went on to run for 11 seasons, although its popularity waned in later years. Gimple served as The Walking Dead’s showrunner for Seasons 4 to 8, before stepping into the role of chief content officer for the overall franchise in 2018.

By this point, The Walking Dead had already spawned its first side project, 2015’s Fear the Walking Dead. This show was followed by 2020 limited series The Walking Dead: World Beyond and 2022 anthology outing Tales of the Walking Dead. Two more additions to the canon, The Walking Dead: Dead City and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, debuted in 2023 as well.

As such, the size of the overarching Walking Dead story has swelled to the point that some fans are hoping AMC will introduce yet another series specifically to tie up the franchise’s narrative loose ends – something Gimple recently indicated may well happen.

The Walking Dead showrunner hints at revival

That project turning out to be a Walking Dead series revival is likewise a possibility, albeit not something either the network or Gimple is currently working towards. “That isn’t specifically planned,” Gimple said during a panel appearance at New York Comic Con 2023. “It would be good though. The dream would be that these shows somehow converge in some way, narratively.”

“As far as the [original] show coming back? Wow. We’re already talking revivals?” he continued. “I’m not against it.” So it seems that while fans shouldn’t give up on a Walking Dead series revival, they shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for it to materialize, either. Indeed, Gimple’s focus appears to be squarely on the numerous Walking Dead spinoffs either on the air or in development.

Aside from Dead City and Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead-related shows due to drop over the next few years include The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live and More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon shakes up the franchise formula

The Ones Who Live is especially noteworthy, as it will bring back original Walking Dead protagonist Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and fan-favorite character Michonne (Danai Gurira). This builds on a trend of Walking Dead spinoffs picking up plot and character beats from the main series, with Carol Peletier’s (Melissa McBride) guest role in Daryl Dixon Season 1 a recent notable example of this.

That said, the latest wave of Walking Dead spinoffs has also added several new elements into the mix, such as Daryl Dixon’s France setting. Daryl Dixon star Norman Reedus touched on the show’s location in an October 2023 interview, revealing that he was personally responsible for replacing the original writers’ room with French scribes, to boost the show’s sense of verisimilitude.

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