AMC ORDERS WALKING DEAD SPINOFF PILOT

Last year we announced that AMC were developing a brand new “companion series” to their hugely popular program The Walking Dead. At the time details were hard to come by, but comic book creator Robert Kirkman seemed very enthusiastic about creating a fresh new drama “that isn’t tethered by the events” of the original series.

Now, according to recent reports, the network has officially ordered a pilot from executive producers Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert with production set to begin later this year. AMC president Charlie Collier went on record by suggesting that the upcoming program will take a much broader view of the zombie apocalypse.

Almost from the beginning of ‘The Walking Dead’ on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world. In fact, beyond requests for zombie cameos, it’s the question I get asked the most,” Collier said. “Obviously, we all take our stewardship of the original franchise incredibly seriously and we, along with Robert, Gale, David and now Dave, are all proceeding with extreme care in order to ensure that we are offering fans something truly compelling, engaging and distinct. We’re thrilled to be taking this next step with these remarkable partners.

One new development is the confirmation of showrunner Dave Erickson, whose credits include the FX original series Sons of Anarchy. Erickson had served as co-writer on the pilot with Kirkman, and will also serve as an executive producer on the upcoming series.

With the official premiere set for sometime next year, we’ll be sure to keep you up to date on all the latest news and announcements regarding the upcoming “companion series.” But in the meantime, zombie fans can begin preparing themselves for the epic return of The Walking Dead coming next month; Sunday, October 12th at 9:00 p.m. CST on AMC.