'Walking Dead' Season 4 Spin-Off Series Coming to AMC in 2015
While there doesn't seem to be an end in sight for AMC's "The Walking Dead," the network recently announced that a spin-off that will accompany the hit zombie apocalypse drama is currently in the works.
The current "Walking Dead" executive producers Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and Robert Kirkman will work on the new series, which is targeted to premiere in 2015, Entertainment Weekly reports. Kirkman is the creator of the comic book on which "The Walking Dead" is based.
"After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn't be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe," Kirkman said in an announcement by AMC. "The opportunity to make a show that isn't tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing."
Charlie Collier, the president and general manager of AMC, also provided his input on the spin-off.
"Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer," Collier said. "We look forward to working with Robert, Gale and Dave again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It's a big world and we can't wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse."
It's unclear whether any characters or storylines from the comic book will coincide with the spin-off, but based on Kirkman's statement the series may present entirely new storylines and characters. AMC recently announced that it has a "Breaking Bad" spin-off in the works that will revolve around show's comedic relief character Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk).
"The Walking Dead" has been a ratings smash for the network. The Season 3 finale became the most-watched TV drama telecast in history with 12.4 million viewers. AMC will be losing its first and extremely popular hit shows within the next year. "Breaking Bad" ends in two weeks while the final season of "Mad Men" will air next year.
Season 4 of "The Walking Dead" premieres Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. ET.