One of The Walking Dead's most cherished love stories is getting a final chapter.
Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira will star in an upcoming Walking Dead spin-off limited series, it was announced at Comic-Con 2022 on July 22.
Lincoln played series protagonist Rick Grimes on the first nine seasons of The Walking Dead from 2010 to 2018. Gurira played Michonne on seasons three through nine from 2012 to 2020. The unlikely pair eventually became a couple during the show's sixth season in 2016.
When viewers last saw Rick, he had disappeared in a helicopter early in season nine. Michonne was last seen on a solo mission attempting to find him after receiving information that he might still be alive.
While specific details about the untitled series remain scarce, The Walking Dead fans can revel in the fact that Lincoln and Gurira have been highly involved in the series' creative process and evolution.
"Rick and Michonne are two of my favorite people and Danai and Andy are two of my favorite people," The Walking Dead's Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple said in statement. "Working with all of them continues to be a dream come true. The three of us, along with a terrific team of TWD all stars and incredible new voices, are crafting an insane love epic worth the long, long wait."
When Lincoln left the show, he said he simply wanted to spend more time with his family.
"I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older," he told Entertainment Weekly after his departure. "It was that simple. It was time for me to come home."
But now he's back—and ready to tell the rest of the story.
"This has been the most extraordinary journey playing Rick Grimes for the best part of a decade," Lincoln said in a statement. "The friendships I've made along the way are deep and lasting, so it's fitting that I finally get to complete the story with Danai and Scott and the rest of the TWD family."
Gurira echoed the sentiment of her co-star, saying in a statement, "Michonne and this TWD family has meant so much to me, and to continue the journey of these beloved characters, alongside Scott and Andy, both creatively and in front of the camera, and bringing The Walking Dead fans something truly special is just glorious. I can't wait to pick up the katana again."
The project is the latest in an incredibly busy Walking Dead slate. Tales of the Walking Dead, a spin-off series starring Terry Crews and Olivia Munn, premieres August 14, while the final episodes of the original Walking Dead series begin premiering October 2.
In addition, a spin-off starring Norman Reedus' Daryl—but no longer Melissa McBride as Carol—has been announced, while a spin-off starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan, called Isle of the Dead, is set to premiere in 2023. Morgan confirmed production had begun on the series on July 19.
The six-episode series starring Lincoln and Gurira will premiere on AMC in 2023.
To put it succinctly, there's a lot of zombie content in our futures.