The Walking Dead Spin-Off Trailers: Rick, Michonne & Daryl Dixon Return In New Shows
AMC's flagship series "The Walking Dead" may have said its final farewell last fall, but the zombie drama lives on with a multitude of spin-offs. "Fear the Walking Dead" is coming to an end after 8 seasons, so many were convinced that the well had run dry for all things "The Walking Dead." But as was recently announced during San Diego Comic-Con, AMC's cups runneth over. As was noted by The Hollywood Reporter, AMC has granted season renewals for both "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" and "The Walking Dead: Dead City."
"This next chapter in the 'Walking Dead' Universe continues to thrive with a terrific inaugural season for 'Dead City' and highly anticipated new journey for fan-favorite character Daryl Dixon coming in September," AMC president of entertainment Dan McDermott told THR. "We can't wait to bring 'Dead City' fans back to the epicenter of Manhattan for more zip-lining action with Maggie and Negan. And, ahead of its debut, we're thrilled to double down on Daryl as we bring the apocalypse to France, transforming Notre Dame, Pont du Gard, and other iconic locales into an apocalyptic landscape unlike anything we've seen before."The Daryl Dixon-led series was originally supposed to be a "Carol and Daryl" spin-off but was changed to a Dixon-centric vehicle for star Norman Reedus following the exit of co-star Melissa McBride.
But the renewals weren't the only big news from AMC. They also revealed the trailer for both "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" and a teaser for "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live," which will see the return of Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, who are reprising their fan-favorite roles as Rick and Michonne.
Watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon official trailer here
Daryl has somehow made his way to France, explaining it away as the result of "a bunch of bad decisions." He meets a nun named Isabelle (Clémence Poésy), who tells him, "We've been waiting for you. You're the messenger," she says. "To deliver Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi). I know you can get him there safely." Believing that Daryl is part of some prophecy, the nun explains that Laurent is to lead "the revival of humanity."
The premise sounds quite a bit like "The Last of Us," but it's important to point out that this trailer footage looks gorgeous. Apocalyptic France is a new landscape for "The Walking Dead" to explore, and there's something elegant about seeing the sprawling lands and classic architecture as a backdrop for the zombie show. It's a smart decision and one that will prevent the show from feeling too similar to the others. Daryl is once again the lone wolf of the franchise, but only time will tell if the "If Daryl dies, we riot" crowd will need to pull their torches and pitchforks out of retirement.
"The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" premieres Sunday, September 10, 2023, at 9 pm/8c on AMC and AMC+. The first 10 minutes of the series premiere episode will be available exclusively on AMC+ beginning Saturday, July 22, 2023.
Watch The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live teaser here
"The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" was first announced as three feature films, but AMC will instead release the story as a six-part "limited' series. I put limited in quotes because there's always the possibility that the series could pick up another season, similar to Mike White's "The White Lotus." The title is a reference to "We're the ones who live," a line first delivered by Rick in "The Walking Dead" season 5 episode "Try," which became the unofficial creed of the entire series. The line is also the last thing Michonne said to Judith Grimes at the end of the series, so it's a fitting tribute to the starring characters of the new series.
As Scott M. Gimple, "The Walking Dead" chief content officer told Entertainment Weekly, "It was always this phrase that was pretty wild. As much as there were so many people dying and being able to say, 'We're the ones who live.' But I never took it as just applying to the living people, because that seemed a little much to be like, 'Hey, we're the ones that live, too bad about all those people we love.'" He continued, "No, to me, it felt like there's a continuum of a relationship and love that cannot be extinguished and that is what is forged in this hell that we've lived through together. And the triumphant thing is that we forever lived through each other and beyond. That, to me, seems the message of the whole thing."
"The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" will debut sometime in 2024.