The Walking Dead fans may have to say goodbye to the original series in 2022, but the good news is the universe will continue to expand.
AMC has announced Tales of the Walking Dead will officially join the universe that also includes Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond. It is described as “an episodic anthology series with one-hour standalone episodes focused on both new and established characters set in the world of the original series.”
A first season of six episodes is set to go into production early next year and premiere on AMC+ and AMC next summer. The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead writer and producer Channing Powell will serve as showrunner and work closely with Walking Dead Universe chief content officer Scott M. Gimple.
“The Walking Dead is a show that made television history and attracted an army of passionate and highly engaged fans,” Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, said in a statement. “We see so much potential for a wide range of rich and compelling storytelling in this world, and the episodic anthology format of Tales of the Walking Dead will give us the flexibility to entertain existing fans and also offer an entry point for new viewers, especially on streaming platforms. We have seen the appeal of this format in television classics like The Twilight Zone and, more recently, Black Mirror, and are excited to engage with fans in this new way, against the backdrop of this very unique and engrossing world.”
“This series, more than any other in the Walking Dead Universe, runs on new voices, perspectives, and ideas — bringing to life stories unlike any we’ve told before,” Gimple added. “I’m thrilled to be Channing’s consigliere, helping in every way I can to make those new visions real for the best fans in TV.”
“I started as a fan of The Walking Dead and have ended up as a showrunner of what will hopefully be one of its most unique spin-offs,” Powell said. “That’s nuts and I’m so grateful to AMC and Scott for supporting me and my writers while we pushed, pulled and poked at the boundaries of this universe to bring you something new and unexpected, while hopefully still tending to what core audiences loved so much about the flagship show.”
Tales of the Walking Dead isn’t the only upcoming series in the franchise. Following the end of The Walking Dead — Season 11 Part 2 will premiere on February 20, 2022, with the third and final part coming later in the year — Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) are getting their own spinoff.
Tales of the Walking Dead, Summer 2022, AMC & AMC+