How The Walking Dead spinoff may connect to the first two shows

The Walking Dead season 10 just premiered to the series’ lowest ratings ever, but that’s not getting AMC down. They’re forging forward with a Walking Dead Universe, which includes a new spinoff all about the younger generation that’s grown up in the shadow of the zombie apocalypse.

During a panel at New York Comic Con this weekend, AMC revealed some new info about the newest member of The Walking Dead family, per TV Insider. First things first: AMC introduced the show’s cast members, although we knew who they were already.

Panelists included Walking Dead content czar Scott M. Gimple, showrunner Matthew Negrete, executive producers Robert Kirkman and Greg Nicotero, and cast members Aliyah Royale (Iris), Alexa Mansour (Hope), Nicolas Cantu (Elton), Hal Cumpston (Silas), Annet Mahendru (Huck) and Nico Tortorella (Felix). The lot revealed that the as-yet-unnamed spinoff takes place during the events of the main show, just elsewhere. Specifically, it’s set in the Midwest, in a community that’s managed to rebuild itself to the point where life isn’t just about survival anymore. “This is nearly 10 years after the start of the apocalypse, so this is one of those big things that is happening at the same time as The Walking Dead, but they have no idea about each other,” Gimple said.

But they may soon find out. In season 9, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) was air-lifted away by a mysterious helicopter with a three-ringed symbol on it. That symbol has also shown up on Fear The Walking Dead. “Those three circles, represent three different civilizations that are bound,” Gimple said. “And the place [the new characters from the spinoff are from] is associated with one of those circles.”

So might Rick have been flown away to this new community, or one associated with it? If so, we probably won’t see it, because the main teenage characters won’t stay in their 9,000-person haven for long. “There’s a quest aspect to this show,” Gimple said. “They have to leave safety and put themselves in a position that they’ve never been [in before].”

The zombies aren’t called “Walkers” in the spinoff, but rather “Empties.” That’s pretty creepy, but does no one on Earth just call them zombies?

Photo: Sarah Shatz (AMC)

And if you couldn’t already guess, there will be opportunities for crossovers with the other two shows, to say nothing of the upcoming Rick Grimes movies. “[T]his is a whole new mythology within the world of The Walking Dead, and it’s very much on its own, but there are points where there is a little bit more of a crossover,” said Nicotero.

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The Walking Dead High is set to air in the spring of 2020.

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