More zombies are coming! AMC has ordered two seasons of the new spinoff/companion series for the wildly successful The Walking Dead. The new series doesn't have a title yet. The first season is set to premiere later this summer with season two in 2016. The first season is six episodes.
"We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the number one show on television. From the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, we've been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did ‘turn.' Through this new series, we're going to find out," Charlie Collier, AMC president, said in a statement. "Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson and their writing team, along with an incomparable set of producers, cast and crew have created something remarkable and clearly distinct. We respectfully follow the request of Monty Python as we bring out (the latest of) our Dead."
The new show stars Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam. Kirkman, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Gale Anne Hurd are executive producers on the show. Erickson is service as showrunner.
"We feel empowered by this two-season commitment, a serious show of faith from our network partner AMC," Kirkman said. "I personally take it as a sign that they believe, like we do, that we've accomplished our goal of developing something original that can pay tribute to the original show and expand the world I created while at the same time having something new to say with this story. I'm very grateful that we now have the opportunity to tell this amazing story and show the fans that we really haven't scratched the surface yet when it comes to The Walking Dead."
"This vote of confidence from our partners at AMC is gratifying, to say the least," Erickson said. "We've been blessed with amazing writers and a stellar cast - and we can't wait to build this apocalyptic drama over the next two seasons and hopefully beyond."
E! News spoke with Dickens before the news was announced and she teased the new series is set in Los Angeles and at a different time than The Walking Dead. The Gone Girl and House of Cards star said she was advised not to watch the mother ship show.
"When I was getting close to getting the role I inquired what I should watch of it and they said don't watch it because A. It's going to be different than that and B. Your character wouldn't know what the apocalypse looks like anyway, you know? It was interesting to think of it that way. ‘Oh yeah, I don't need to watch it.' We're going to be doing something different, it's going to be filmed differently," she said. "My character wouldn't know that, she wouldn't have that information so it was a fascinating way to start it, sort of clueless just like the characters really are."