As Norman Reedus prepares for his character, Daryl Dixon, to "be pretty feral" in Season 5 of "The Walking Dead," those behind the series are working on a spin-off of the zombie hit.

On Sept. 5, AMC announced that it ordered a pilot for a "The Walking Dead" "companion series." The show will be executive produced by "The Walking Dead" comic book creator and show executive producer and writer Robert Kirkman, as well as show executive producers Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert. Dave Erickson ("Marco Polo," "Sons of Anarchy") is also an executive producer and co-created the series with Kirkman.

"Almost from the beginning of 'The Walking Dead' on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world. In fact, beyond requests for zombie cameos, it's the question I get asked the most," Charlie Collier, AMC president, said through the AMC blog.

"Obviously, we all take our stewardship of the original franchise incredibly seriously and we ... are all proceeding with extreme care in order to ensure that we are offering fans something truly compelling, engaging and distinct."

In an Oct. 2013 interview with IGN, Kirkman confirmed that the series will not take place in Georgia.

"There are many corners of 'The Walking Dead' universe that remain unseen in the shadows," Kirkman said via the blog. "Being given the opportunity to shine a light into those corners and see what lurks out there is an absolute thrill. I know the fans are anxious to hear what Dave and I have been cooking up for this new version of 'The Walking Dead,' and I'm happy to be one step closer to sharing it with them."

Meanwhile, Reedus continues to focus on Season 5 and his character, who will be "a little scared, which makes him a little more feral," this season.

"In Season 1 he had such a chip on his shoulder and didn't think people trusted him, and he didn't trust other people," he told Entertainment Weekly. "Everything just kind of came out of the side of his head. This season he's very much in your face, and his shoulders are square to you and he means what he says. ... People rely on him now and I think before he thought people would cross the street if he was walking toward you. Now he's an integral part of the group. ... And I think he's accepted that trust."

Production on "The Walking Dead" companion series will begin in late 2014.

Season 5 of 'The Walking Dead" beginning on Oct. 12 at 9/8c on AMC.

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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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