Back when The Walking Dead was at its peak, the AMC zombie series was churning out 16-episode seasons every year. In fact, season 10 had an enormous 22 episodes. After over a decade on our screens, the main series told its story over the course of 177 episodes, concluding in 2022. And now, the franchise continues to live on through a slate of spinoff projects.
The first Walking Dead spinoff, Fear The Walking Dead, premiered way back in 2015. The series lasted an impressive eight seasons, airing 113 episodes. More recently, we've had spinoffs like The Walking Dead: Dead City, Daryl Dixon, Tales of The Walking Dead, and The Ones Who Live. What do all of these shows have in common? They each had six-episode seasons.
Looking ahead to the future of The Walking Dead universe, franchise overseer Scott M. Gimple believes nothing is off the table. From possible big screen forays, to bringing back the main show, anything is possible. This includes the return of massive 16-episode seasons.
"I mean, I would just say different formats... They're always in our minds and, you know, is it a six-hour, is it a two-hour, is it a... my dream would be another 16-hour-a-year series," Gimple explained in an interview with The Direct. "We're talking about that. Feature films... probably less likely. But different ways that we do the show, we have to do it and we will."
He also revealed that the spinoff Tales of The Walking Dead — which tells standalone stories from the undead world — is not dead and buried. This is the first we've heard about the spinoff's possible return pretty much since it premiered in 2022. "I'm desperate to do more of those," Gimple teased. "We don't have imminent plans to do it, but I'm constantly, constantly, constantly bringing it up. It's a more challenging show because of the variety, because you're starting at zero every episode."
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is thrilled Lucille the bat is back in his life
Clearly, The Walking Dead universe is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, the franchise returns for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 next month.
Above, check out a behind-the-scenes look at Dead City season 2. There's a lot to enjoy in there, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan revealing that he got a tattoo that says "Lucille," the name of Negan's famous barbed wire-bound baseball bat. “I’ve never had a prop in my life as an actor that felt so innately mine and feels like an extension of the character and me personally,” Morgan says. “I adore her. To have Lucille back, that’s when Negan was at his most Negan.”
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 premieres on AMC on Sunday, May 4.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.