The Walking Dead, believe it or not, is now dead. The long-running AMC hit once looked unstoppable with a seemingly unlimited amount of stories to tell from Robert Kirkman’s 193-issue-long comic book series. The network, however, has decided to bring the zombie series to an end after its 11th season.
The 11th Season
There’s still plenty more of The Walking Dead to come with spinoffs and more. The series that started it all, though, will end with a supersized 11th season. 2022 will mark the end of the hit show. AMC has ordered a total of 24 final episodes, which will run in 2021 and 2022. The network is splitting the final season in two, similar to Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
10 Years of The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead has been frustrating for many fans and, for many, went down in quality after the loss of showrunner Frank Darabont. The show continued to kill it in the ratings, though, and entertain millions. There’s still a whole lot of love in the show for the world. 10 years of content enjoyed by millions is no joke and a great accomplishment.
Showrunner Angela Kang hopes to craft an epic final chapter:
“I look forward to digging in with our brilliant writers, producers, directors, cast and crew to bring this epic final chapter of Robert Kirkman’s story to life for our fans over the next two years,” said Kang, who took over as TWD showrunner from Gimple at the start of Season 9. “The Walking Dead flagship series has been my creative home for a decade and so it’s bittersweet to bring it to an end, but I could not be more excited to be working with Scott Gimple and AMC to develop a new series for Daryl and Carol,” the EP added. “Working with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride has been a highlight of my career and I’m thrilled that we get to keep telling stories together.”
Under the direction of Kang, the show got its groove back according to many fans and critics. The last handful of seasons have been very well-received.
Another Spinoff and More Are Coming
The Walking Dead brand ain’t dying anytime soon. Kang is already working on a new spinoff with co-creator Scott M. Gimple. The series is untitled, but it’ll follow Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride as Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier. That show will debut in 2023. A Rick Grimes movie, too, is in development. Universal is working on the project, so it’ll likely play in theaters one day. AMC has another spinoff in the works called Tales of The Walking Dead, which is an episode anthology series focusing on new characters. The season 10 finale of The Walking Dead is still coming too, following a delay caused by COVID-19. The finale will play around the time Fear the Walking Dead returns for its sixth season on October 10th.
There’s Still Even More Spinoffs…
AMC has never heard of too much of a good thing. They don’t want to kill their golden goose, understandably. The Walking Dead is the network’s biggest hit, and it’s also a show that’s caused lawsuits, money disputes, and more epic drama behind-the-scenes that’s been making headlines for years. The funny thing is, there’s still even more Walking Dead spin-offs being discussed. There’s apparently talk of a show starring the great Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, who’s a villainous fan favorite. Personally, I want to see a legal drama on AMC about all the lawsuits and disputes over the show. AMC and Darabont are heading to trial next year after years of bad blood between them. That’s the Walking Dead story that should be told.
