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The AMC Spinoff 'Fear The Walking Dead': News and Speculation


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Is there a thread yet for the spinoff?  If not, they just cast two roles for it, already.  Like with Andrew Lincolin, it seems like they are still down with going overseas to find their actors: we've got another Brit (Frank Dillane), and an Aussie (Alycia Debnam Carey).  But, it doesn't sound like they are main characters, but the kids to one of the leads.

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News on the companion series...

 

Cliff Curtis To Star In ‘The Walking Dead’ Companion Series
by Nellie Andreeva •  December 4, 2014 9:00am

http://deadline.com/2014/12/cliff-curtis-cast-the-walking-dead-companion-series-spinoff-1201308108/

 

'Walking Dead' spinoff casts male lead
By James Hibberd on Dec 4, 2014 at 12:24PM   @james_hibberd

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/12/04/walking-dead-casts/

 

‘The Walking Dead’ Companion Series Casts Cliff Curtis as Male Lead
DECEMBER 4, 2014 | 10:04AM PT  Laura Prudom News Editor @lauinla
http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/walking-dead-spinoff-cliff-curtis-male-lead-1201371013/

Edited by tv echo
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We've been seeing casting calls for walkers and extras here in Pennsylvania since it's apparently going to be shot here.  They've been vague on a lot of specifics but the scuttlebutt has been that it's going to be set and filmed in the rural Pittsburgh area, you know, home of the original Night of the Living Dead.  I hope their brand of walkers can manage snow and mountainous terrain.

 

My husband desperately wanted to win one of those walk-on roles they were offering as prizes in early season TWD so I'm trying to convince him to try out for this one.

Edited by nodorothyparker
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We've been seeing casting calls for walkers and extras here in Pennsylvania since it's apparently going to be shot here.  They've been vague on a lot of specifics but the scuttlebutt has been that it's going to be set and filmed in the rural Pittsburgh area, you know, home of the original Night of the Living Dead.  I hope their brand of walkers can manage snow and mountainous terrain.

 

My husband desperately wanted to win one of those walk-on roles they were offering as prizes in early season TWD so I'm trying to convince him to try out for this one.

Tell your husband we are all cheering for him to get a walk on role or anything! Go get it!

If he could get on, we (well, me at least) will make a point to send e-mails when it airs and say we love him and he should be a regular character!

 

I would be so happy to finally see the ZA with snow and something besides Georgia pines...I love GA but I can never tell when it is on the show; Rick and Daryl are wearing layers of clothing in the premiere, and Maggie is taking it off. Half the people are dressed for summer in tank tops and T-shirts and the other half wear jackets and sweaters: WTF?

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He's always had aspirations of being a walker.  I pointed out to him that the original show uses a lot of the same walker actors over and over again so there could be a nice side career in that if he were so inclined.

 

We have a lot of trees here but not a lot of flat ground for herds to congregate on.  So maybe we'll see walkers careening off into ravines or falling off mountains.  I'm curious to know how they'll address the fact we have actual seasons here.

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Hey, we have seasons here! It was a cool 75 today! (and it was 21 a couple weeks ago) It's a wonder we see any seasons at all since entire show seasons are over the course of...a couple weeks.

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We've been seeing casting calls for walkers and extras here in Pennsylvania since it's apparently going to be shot here.

I thought that was a scam?

 

If it's actually hereabouts, that'd be kinda cool, though I don't know that it's really visually that different from Georgia other than different kinds of trees and sometimes snow.

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If it's actually hereabouts, that'd be kinda cool, though I don't know that it's really visually that different from Georgia other than different kinds of trees and sometimes snow.

Any weather change would be a visual feast for the eyes for this show.

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I like Cliff Curtis in the lead role, but the other 2 teen actors look annoying. I wish they would cast some of the actors who have previously appeared in zombie movies, like Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames, Sarah Polley (who all appeared in the 2004 "Dawn of the Dead"), Simon Pegg (from "Shaun of the Dead"), Melinda Clarke or Thom Mathews (who appeared in "Return of the Living Dead"). Would be cool to have someone like Bruce Campbell ("Evil Dead") in there too. But they are probably going to go with boring, no-name actors.

Edited by Mattipoo
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I like Cliff Curtis in the lead role, but the other 2 teen actors look annoying.

Dillane will be perfect if they need his character to have a thing for snakes and to split his soul through acts of evil.

 

... I thought he was great as Tom Riddle in the Harry Potter movies.

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I like Cliff Curtis in the lead role, but the other 2 teen actors look annoying. I wish they would cast some of the actors who have previously appeared in zombie movies, like Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames, Sarah Polley (who all appeared in the 2004 "Dawn of the Dead"), Simon Pegg (from "Shaun of the Dead"), Melinda Clarke or Thom Mathews (who appeared in "Return of the Living Dead"). Would be cool to have someone like Bruce Campbell ("Evil Dead") in there too. But they are probably going to go with boring, no-name actors.

 

I think when you start seeing people like that in the show, that means TWD and this companion series is on its last legs.  Next up: Captain Stubbing!!!

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I think when you start seeing people like that in the show, that means TWD and this companion series is on its last legs.  Next up: Captain Stubbing!!!

If Ted McGinley gets cast, they're done for.

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I like Cliff Curtis in the lead role, but the other 2 teen actors look annoying. I wish they would cast some of the actors who have previously appeared in zombie movies, like Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames, Sarah Polley (who all appeared in the 2004 "Dawn of the Dead"), Simon Pegg (from "Shaun of the Dead"), Melinda Clarke or Thom Mathews (who appeared in "Return of the Living Dead"). Would be cool to have someone like Bruce Campbell ("Evil Dead") in there too. But they are probably going to go with boring, no-name actors.

I second the motion to get Ving Rhames on board. Not only was he in Dawn of the Dead remake but he was in Zombie Apocalypse, which also starred a certain Gary Weeks, who was the leader of the National Guard outfit the Gov & his evil minions mowed down. ZA was not a bad little movie, as far as zombie B movies go.

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So the companion series is taking place in Pittsburgh? I had read somewhere that they were going to examine the ZA in other countries around the world but I guess that's not going to happen. Probably they have a small budget and wouldn't be able to film overseas. Would be cool if they did the multi-locations around the world scenario though, like "Lost" did.

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So the companion series is taking place in Pittsburgh?

As Dougal posted above, the Pennsylvania location was a hoax. The only confirmed facts are that Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and David Alpert are executive producing for AMC Studios, and the target on-air date is 2015.

Source: September 16, 2013, AMC press release.

Dave Erickson, who co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Robert Kirkman, will serve as an executive producer and showrunner. The pilot is scheduled for production in late 2014.

Source: September 5, 2014, AMC blog post

Edited to add that AMC has thus far only ordered a pilot—not a series.

Edited by editorgrrl
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I like Cliff Curtis in the lead role, but the other 2 teen actors look annoying. I wish they would cast some of the actors who have previously appeared in zombie movies, like Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames, Sarah Polley (who all appeared in the 2004 "Dawn of the Dead"), Simon Pegg (from "Shaun of the Dead"), Melinda Clarke or Thom Mathews (who appeared in "Return of the Living Dead"). Would be cool to have someone like Bruce Campbell ("Evil Dead") in there too. But they are probably going to go with boring, no-name actors.

 

Most of those actors are likely too expensive.

 

After the tantrums Simon Pegg had with Star Trek fans, I can't imagine him dealing with some of the TWD crazies.

Edited by Pete Martell
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I do like Cliff Curtis. I'm somewhat ambivalent about Kirkman's involvement. It doesn't seem as though his influence has been good for TWD television series... I think the comic has been pretty good but my taste in comics is nowhere near as refined as my taste in film and television. I've viewed much of the show with the feeling that it is not living up to its potential, but I'm not sure why because I don't necessarily feel a zombie show has great potential. I suppose the lost potential has to do with what could have been done as far as world building in an ongoing ZA setting... the nitty gritty details of how humans have survived and adapted. The companion series probably won't do much better... honestly given the ratings success of the show there is not much financial incentive for them to do anything very different.

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I'm somewhat ambivalent about Kirkman's involvement. It doesn't seem as though his influence has been good for TWD television series.

 

The link posted above by Raven1707 says:

[The spinoff] takes place in Los Angeles at the dawn of the zombie apocalypse. For non-comics readers, Robert Kirkman's graphic novels have never explored the origins of the zombie apocalypse. 

 

I haven't read the comics, and I have no idea just how much Frank Darabont contributed to the development of the original TV show. So I honestly have no idea what to expect from the spinoff. At the very least, since it's a prequel it'll have to have way more world building.

 

The Hollywood Reporter story also contains this unverified tidbit: 

Sources tell THR that an early script features one character who briefly appeared during a key season one episode.

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The Hollywood Reporter story also contains this unverified tidbit: 

Sources tell THR that an early script features one character who briefly appeared during a key season one episode.

 

I'm thinking it's

Jenner

but I could be wrong.

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The link posted above by Raven1707 says:

 

I haven't read the comics, and I have no idea just how much Frank Darabont contributed to the development of the original TV show. So I honestly have no idea what to expect from the spinoff. At the very least, since it's a prequel it'll have to have way more world building.

 

The Hollywood Reporter story also contains this unverified tidbit: 

Sources tell THR that an early script features one character who briefly appeared during a key season one episode.

 

Daranbont certainly contributed a lot to the development of the first season... the pilot had a lot of promise on that end, but that may have been a byproduct of it being the episode that was introducing us to this apocalyptic landscape, and much of it was very well staged by Daranbont.  But I'm not of the popular opinion that everything Daranbont did was gold and it's gone downhill since he left.  The problems with the show started early, certainly as early as the second episode when Merle and T-Dog were introduced.  T-Dog is still an absolute embarrassment of a writer's creation.  The show has improved a lot in the way they write the black characters since then.  It is cool, incidentally that the lead of the companion series will be a non-white guy... sounds like a Latino character played by a Maori actor.  

 

 

I'm thinking it's

Jenner

but I could be wrong.

 

Kirkman expressed ambivalence about that particular episode, but what he says does seem to correlate with this theory none the less:  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-deads-robert-kirkman-reveals-751988

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 The problems with the show started early, certainly as early as the second episode when Merle and T-Dog were introduced.  T-Dog is still an absolute embarrassment of a writer's creation.  T

Even before we got to really hear the characters lines, there was T-Dog in the Kangol cap with the shirt that said Brooklyn, Glenn with the baseball cap, Carol with the ironing board, etc. It was bordering on an SNL parody.

Yeah, we get that Carol is a housewife, we aren't so stupid we need to see her vacuuming the woods.

Every now and then, some of us who are old enough see echoes of '70s or '80s character definition or scenes written out of the A-Team playbook. It just jars with the very well-done writing and directing of other episodes.

I hope they've learned enough about their audience to write the companion prequel with more consistent quality and skip the hokey stuff.

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This doesn't sound promising to me.  An ex-flower child.  Lots of angsty teens.  A high school setting. None of that screams "the next big thing!" to me.  I also read a similar article that said this show was supposed to be less bleak than TWD.  I guess because it takes place in the early stages of the outbreak people can still crack inappropriate jokes and be wrapped up in their petty issues?  But since we already know if anyone survives they'll be in circumstances as bad as CDB (or worse, higher populations in Cali, drought, etc) it's still kinda bleak.  

 

 I'm surprised Kirkman would do a prequel since he's always been so adamant about not being interested in how the ZA started.

 

 I'd be surprised if Jenner showed up since they've all but come out and said the trip to the CDC never happened.  I wouldn't say he appeared 'briefly' since he was in two episodes.  But I don't know who else would be considered a brief appearance.

    

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I am not happy about the casting choices so far. Why isn't there a single African-American or Asian-American lead character? If the original "TWD", set in Georgia, can have a diverse cast, shouldn't a show set in Los Angeles be much more so? Instead they are casting white Australian actors to play teenyboppers. I am not watching unless there is a clear indication from the producers that this spinoff will not be more of the same old same old.

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'The Walking Dead' Spinoff & Spoilers: Creator Says 'Cobalt' Will Feel Familiar But Be Told in a 'Completely Different Way'
By Andre Revilla (staff@latinpost.com) First Posted: Jan 18, 2015 02:10 PM EST
http://www.latinpost.com/articles/32477/20150118/the-walking-dead-spin-off-is-a-show-about-family.htm

 

‘The Walking Dead’ Creator Robert Kirkman (Finally) Spills Secrets Behind The New Spinoff: ‘All New Characters, All New Events And All Kinds Of Crazy Stuff’
Posted: January 17, 2015
http://www.inquisitr.com/1763676/the-walking-dead-creator-robert-kirkman-finally-spills-secrets-behind-the-new-spinoff-all-new-characters-all-new-events-and-all-kinds-of-crazy-stuff/

 

'The Walking Dead' Spinoff Will Be Startlingly Different
Jan 16, 2015 by Brian Gallagher
http://www.movieweb.com/walking-dead-spinoff-cobalt-story-details-kirkman

 

The Walking Dead Spinoff: Meet the Pilot's Characters
By Russ Burlingame  09/27/2014
http://comicbook.com/2014/09/27/the-walking-dead-spinoff-meet-the-pilots-characters/

Edited by tv echo
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Walking Dead: Texas (No shortage of guns, ammo and remember the Alamo cries)

Walking Dead: Nebraska (Not everyone is corn fed)

Walking Dead: New Orleans (There is no place like home)

Walking Dead: U.S. Canada border (Where I'm going to get you sucker meets nice day eh?)

Walking Dead: Hawaii (Sun, surf, and the not cool bro biters .)

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From the media thread:

Article about Morgan and a deleted Morgan scene (from "Clear") here:

http://www.inquisitr.com/1787240/the-walking-dead-is-daryl-dixon-in-danger-of-being-replaced-by-morgan-jones-see-a-deleted-scene-video/

Also might be the first time I've seen anyone blame Beth's death on Daryl. They do make a point...

In that article: 

a character from The Walking Dead spinoff will appear in a six-episode arc on the original show.

 

This could be really cool, or really stupid (see: NCIS: New Orleans (imo)).

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I've recently learned that none of the information they've released about the new show was true.

It's actually about the zany road adventures of Brillip, Mika, Lizzie, Bob, Martin,Beth, and Tyreese.

Edited by CletusMusashi
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Edited to add that AMC renewed Better Call Saul (the Breaking Bad prequel) back in June, so I wonder why they've not yet committed to this show?

 

'Walking Dead' Producer Talks Spinoff, "Guns on the Street" and Killing Off Characters (Hollywood Reporter)

[Executive producer Gale Anne] Hurd noted that she had just finished the pilot to a [Walking] Dead spinoff on Feb. 6, but, "We haven't been picked up to series yet." By contrast, "The next series that I'm doing was picked up to 13 episodes. It's called Hunters, at Syfy, and it's based on the Whitley Strieber novel Alien Hunter."
Edited by editorgrrl
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Best part of that linked article and the best thing the spinoff has to offer me...

 

The shooting is expected to start in early April for a likely launch this summer, as a bridge between season 5 and season 6 of The Walking Dead

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Robert Kirkman says 'Walking Dead' spinoff will be 'startlingly different'

“I will say that this is going to be a show about family,” says Kirkman. “But it’s going to be a show about a different type of family that we haven’t explored in The Walking Dead thus far. So what we’re trying to do with The Walking Dead spinoff is keep the story as familiar as possible for people that love The Walking Dead, so you’ll get the kind of things that you expect from a Walking Dead story. But, at the same time, we’ll want to tell these stories in a completely different way with completely different people in a completely different setting that’s going to make for a fundamentally different show. I think the look and feel of The Walking Dead spinoff is going to be startlingly different.”

 

Kirkman also confirms that no characters from the original comic book will appear on the new show.

 

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