“The Walking Dead” continues to live on at AMC, with the network greenlighting a spinoff centered on Maggie and Negan.
Both Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will return for the spinoff, which is currently titled “Isle of the Dead.” The six-episode series will see the two characters traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror. The series is expected to debut in AMC and AMC Plus in 2023.
“This is a very big day for the expanding universe we are building around ‘The Walking Dead,’” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “It not only adds another compelling series to this collection, it extends our storytelling around two unforgettable characters fans have grown to love, hate or hate and then love in Maggie and Negan, brilliantly inhabited by Lauren and Jeffrey. It also lets us explore a corner of this universe located on the island of Manhattan, with an iconic skyline that takes on a very different meaning when viewed through the lens of a zombie apocalypse.”
Eli Jorné is the writer, executive producer, and showrunner on “Isle of the Dead” under his AMC overall deal. Jorné has worked as a writer and co-executive producer on “The Walking Dead” for multiple seasons. Cohan and Morgan will also serve as executive producers in addition to starring. Scott M. Gimple will oversee the series in his role as chief content officer of “The Walking Dead” universe.
“Eli has created a chaotic, beautiful, grimy madhouse of the dead for Negan, Maggie, and fans of the show eager to discover an unseen and insane world of the TWD Universe,” said Gimple. “Lauren and Jeffrey have always been fantastic collaborators and now, we bring that collaboration to the next level with a series that will take these characters to their limits with the world — and each other. All of us are thrilled to take you on an all new, all different TWD epic for the ages.”
Cohan has been with “The Walking Dead” as Maggie since Season 2, though she was partially absent from the series during the latter half of Season 9 and most of Season 10 after a contract dispute. She went on to star in the ABC series “Whiskey Cavalier,” but returned as a full-time “Walking Dead” cast member going into the show’s eleventh and final season.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Dan McDermott and the team at AMC on the next chapter in ‘The Walking Dead’ Universe,” Cohan said. “Maggie is very close to my heart and I’m excited to continue her journey against the iconic backdrop of New York City, alongside my friend and collaborator, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Eli Jorné has created something incredibly special and I cannot wait for the fans to see what we have in store for Maggie and Negan.”
Morgan joined “The Walking Dead” in the final episode of Season 6 as Negan, originally a villain in charge of the group known as The Saviors. He memorably began his time on the show by killing the characters Abraham and Glenn, the latter of whom was Maggie’s husband. He has been a main cast member ever since, eventually becoming a more sympathetic character and a member of the main group of protagonists.
“I’m delighted that Negan and Maggie’s journey continues,” Morgan said. “It’s been such a ride walking in Negan’s shoes, I’m beyond excited to continue his journey in New York City with Lauren. Walkers in an urban setting has always been such a cool image, but 5th Avenue, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty? The greatest city in the world?? The backdrop is amazing, but it’s the story that Eli Jorné cooked up that is even better. Buckle up folks, Isle of the Dead is going to reinvent the TWD Universe. Huge thank you to Dan McDermott, Scott Gimple and AMC for having us back for more… we simply can’t wait.”
Cohan is repped by CAA, John Carrabino Management, Hansen Jacobson, and 42West. Morgan is repped by UTA, Goodman Genow and Viewpoint.
“Isle of the Dead” is now the second direct spinoff of the mothership “Walking Dead” series to be ordered at AMC. It was previoulsy announced that a spinoff about Daryl and Carol is set up at the basic cabler as well. Elsewhere in the TWD universe, “Fear the Walking Dead” will air the second half of its seventh season starting in April. There is also the episodic anthology series “Tales of the Walking Dead,” which has recently begun announcing castings.
The eleventh and final season of “The Walking Dead” will consist of 24 episodes total. It is currently airing it second block of eight episodes, with the final eight episodes set to air later in 2022.
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