Again in 2018, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) flew away from The Walking Dead right into a deliberate trilogy of spin-off movies, introduced the evening of his remaining episode. Since then, little or no concrete details about the flicks has come out, however we do know that, in the end, the primary film is shifting ahead as deliberate. This is what we all know for positive — and what we suppose would possibly occur when the film does lastly attain screens.
The coronavirus is the most important factor holding manufacturing again proper now. “We’re coming alongside in an enormous method. We’re simply on this specific area the place we have now [to wait],” the Skybound Leisure co-founder and Strolling Useless govt producer David Alpert mentioned throughout the digital Skybound Xpo panel Skybound: Previous, Current, and Future on July 19, per ComicBook.com. “We won’t shoot proper now, in order that’s simply the large factor holding us again. We’re determined to get again into manufacturing, and get the whole lot going, however we have now one thing actually thrilling, actually distinctive, actually completely different, and might’t wait to get it going. We simply have to attend for it to be protected.”
“There’s tons of stuff occurring behind the scenes. I do not need anybody to suppose that we’re simply type of ready round for this pandemic to finish,” The Strolling Useless creator Robert Kirkman mentioned throughout the panel. “I’d say that, if something, the pandemic goes to make quite a lot of films higher. I feel the Rick Grimes film chief amongst them, simply because we’re getting much more time to prepare dinner this factor and ensure it is excellent. However when issues do cool down, you guys are going to listen to a ton extra about this film.”
They seem to be a trilogy of theatrically launched films. The primary film is being written by The Strolling Useless franchise chief content material officer Scott Gimple and is tentatively scheduled for a 2020 launch. Comics creator Kirkman — who ended the comedian collection on which the present is predicated in the summertime of 2019 — is claimed to be closely concerned.
The unique plan was for the movies to premiere on tv platforms, however on the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, producers confirmed the options will get a theatrical launch, by way of distributor Common. The information was damaged by way of a brief animated teaser proven throughout The Strolling Useless‘s panel, which confirmed a helicopter flying towards a metropolis skyline. (It would not appear to be it is Indianapolis.) The teaser ends with the textual content “Rick Grimes Returns, Solely in Theaters.”
We all know the place it is going to begin. The primary film will decide up the place Rick’s The Strolling Useless story left off, with a gravely wounded Rick being spirited away in a helicopter that bears an emblem with three interlocking rings to an unknown place that will be different than anyplace we have seen earlier than. Within the chopper with him are Anne, beforehand referred to as Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), and a few mysterious individuals we now know a bit bit about because of Fear the Walking Dead (extra on that later). McIntosh has played it coy about whether or not or not Jadis will likely be within the film, however Gimple has straight-up confirmed it.
The Strolling Useless
They will finish Rick Grimes’ story. Andrew Lincoln left the present to spend extra time along with his household in England, so the flicks are a compromise to let him out of the franchise whereas bringing his character’s arc to a satisfying conclusion. He is not going to be again on the present.
We do not know who else will likely be in it, however we have now some concepts. Most clearly, there’s Danai Gurira, who exited The Strolling Useless in Season 10, however, like Lincoln, is likely to be prepared to tackle the much less time-intensive film dedication. Her character, Michonne, discovered proof that the daddy of her son RJ and adopted daughter Judith (Cailey Fleming) was nonetheless alive and had been in New Jersey, and went off on a journey in quest of him, assembly characters performed by Mr. Mercedes‘ Breeda Wool and social media star Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor and becoming a member of an enormous caravan of survivors heading north. On the time of her remaining episode, there was no deal in place for her subsequent transfer so nothing was introduced, however Scott Gimple mentioned that her story wasn’t finished.
Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride have reportedly signed contracts that may permit them to maneuver between the mothership present and different Strolling Useless universe properties, which may embrace Rick Grimes films in addition to any variety of different potential initiatives. Again in Season 7, earlier than we even met her on display, Jadis gave Heath (Corey Hawkins) to the helicopter individuals, so Heath will most likely already be wherever Rick goes — that’s, if Hawkins is ready to return. And a personality we met on Concern the Strolling Useless, Isabelle (Sydney Lemmon), might present up. About that…
Sydney Lemmon, Concern the Strolling Useless
Concern the Strolling Useless instructed us loads about the place Rick goes. In Season 5, Episode 5, the spin-off launched a personality from the identical group that took Rick Grimes. Isabelle is a soldier and scout who got here to Texas in a helicopter an identical to the one which took Rick Grimes in quest of… one thing. We do not know what she was on the lookout for, however she instructed her dispatcher that she discovered it. We all know from The Strolling Useless that the group divides the individuals it takes in as “A” or “B,” which appears to imply “robust” or “weak.” (Rick is a B as a result of his damage.)
Isabelle’s group of the three rings is in Indiana and appears extra technologically superior than others we have seen, as she was carrying a bite-proof uniform and carrying a growler-killing trident. She instructed Al (Maggie Grace) that her group is constructing for the long run, and she or he’s a real believer in regardless of the group’s mission is. We do not know precisely what that’s, however after assembly Isabelle, it appears much less nefarious than it did, as a result of whereas she was in a position to unemotionally kill her pal within the identify of operational safety, she grew to care about Al and spared her life.
If anybody from Concern crosses over to the flicks, it might be Al, who established a romantic reference to Isabelle and will need to see her once more regardless that Isabelle instructed her to not search for her. A fan theory, nevertheless, holds that Al will take Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) along with her in quest of Isabelle, as a result of Alicia is sick from publicity to irradiated walker blood, and Indiana’s superior medical capabilities could also be her greatest hope for restoration. Possibly she’ll meet Rick within the infirmary.
The Indiana group bears some resemblance to a group within the comics known as the Commonwealth, which is predicated in Toledo, Ohio, and has a standing military with superior uniforms, amongst different trappings of a extra secure society than what we have seen within the reveals’ post-apocalyptic imaginative and prescient to this point. No spoilers, however the Commonwealth turns into an important place for Rick and Michonne, together with many different characters, together with Maggie and Dwight.
Comicbook.com estimates that Isabelle met Al round six months earlier than Rick Grimes left Virginia.
One other department of this identical group will likely be featured within the upcoming spin-off The Walking Dead: World Beyond, which is able to most likely connect with the Rick Grimes films, too, maybe by the point it ends after two seasons. That present’s characters appear to be headed towards New York, which could be very near New Jersey. Will we see Rick Grimes within the Massive Apple?
Extra will likely be revealed. This put up will likely be up to date as we study extra in regards to the Rick Grimes trilogy.
The Strolling Useless will air its Season 10 finale on AMC later this yr, and has been renewed for Season 11.
Andrew Lincoln, The Strolling Useless