Norman Reedus teases “way different” The Walking Dead spinoff in France

AMC’s long-running zombie series The Walking Dead is almost over, but after the finale airs in November, the franchise will continue to expand through various spinoffs. One of the most exciting follows Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) as he travels to Europe.

Currently, the spinoff is simply titled “Daryl Dixon,” which sounds a little on the nose. Of course, there’s always the possibility that it could get changed; the title of Maggie and Negan’s spinoff was recently changed from Isle of the Dead to Dead City.

The reasoning for Daryl’s trip to France is currently under wraps. Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Reedus confirmed that Daryl arrives in France by ship. However, it’s not his choice to embark on the journey. “Somehow I get put there, and I don’t go there on my own free will,” he teased. Sounds like he’s captured. By who? Who wants him that badly to take him across the world? So many questions.

Reedus hinted at some of the locations in the series. Expect castles with huge walls, moats, and high vantage points. Castles are the perfect spots to hold out from zombies. “I’ve been out there location scouting and casting and everything for the last couple of months,” Dixon said. “It’s epic. Castles, and moats of castles, it’s just crazy.”

Expect the unexpected. If there’s one thing The Walking Dead has been criticized for over and over, it’s the formulaic approach. The group enters an idyllic-looking community and joins them, only to later learn that all is not what it seems, resulting in a battle. “We knew we wanted to make a show that went in the opposite direction, just because we didn’t want to do the same thing,” Reedus told Entertainment Weekly:

"And it’s going to be way different. The story’s way different. The characters are way different. There’s a different tone, there’s different light, there’s a different sound. It’s a whole different vibe."

I very much welcome something new. A spinoff like this is the perfect chance to freshen up the franchise!

Bring on the faster, deadlier zombies! 

Daryl Dixon will mark the first time a Walking Dead show has been set in Europe, so it’s already going to be completely different. So far, we’ve seen the apocalypse in various U.S. states as well as a brief spell in Mexico in earlier seasons of Fear the Walking Dead.

There was one instance, however, when the franchise took us to France. It came during the post-credit scene of World Beyond, where Dr. Edwin Jenner (Noah Emmerich) appeared via video call. In the scene, a French scientist gets killed and almost instantly turns into a zombie. But she isn’t just any zombie; she’s much quicker and stronger than what we are used to. If that scene is anything to go by, Daryl’s got some tough times ahead.

The Walking Dead has included its own variant zombies, too. The final season continues Sundays on AMC. Catch the series finale on November 20!

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