The ‘Walking Dead’ franchise may be inching closer to one of its most anticipated projects yet. A long-rumoured revival or crossover series is reportedly now in advanced development, though it has not yet been officially greenlit. The update marks the first significant movement on the project in quite some time.According to industry insider, The Beyond Reporter, although the original series concluded almost four years ago after eleven seasons, the wider universe has continued through multiple spinoffs, several of which have already spawned multiple seasons of their own.
‘The Walking Dead’: What the revival could look like
While ‘Daryl Dixon’ and ‘Dead City’ gave characters like Daryl, Carol, Maggie and Negan new storylines, ‘The Ones Who Live’ brought Rick Grimes and Michonne’s arc to a close, effectively wrapping up the wider TWD Universe story. With two spinoffs still ongoing, fans have long wondered what the franchise’s ultimate endgame might be.
The rumoured project would essentially function as a season 12 of the original series, a limited revival primarily led by Andrew Lincoln’s Rick, Danai Gurira’s Michonne, Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride’s Carol Peletier, Lauren Cohan’s Maggie Rhee and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan. These six characters are the leads of the three newer spinoffs, and their individual stories never received an official conclusion in the original series finale, since it was designed to set up the various offshoots instead.
‘The Walking Dead’: Unfinished business across the franchise
Although Rick and Michonne’s arcs were largely concluded in ‘The Ones Who Live’, several threads remain open. Rick never got the chance to reunite with Daryl and Carol, who are in different parts of Europe in the story, nor did he get to witness Negan’s redemption as he had hoped. A crossover revival would allow the franchise to tie up these loose ends finally.
What insiders and creatives have said about the revival of ‘The Walking Dead’
While rumours of a project like this have circulated for some time, this marks the first major update in a while, and comes at a particularly relevant moment given that ‘Daryl Dixon’ is set to conclude with its fourth and final season this fall. Before this report, multiple insiders, including the highly regarded Daniel Richtman, had also pointed to the existence of such a project.
The possibility has not gone unacknowledged by those behind the franchise either. The Chief Content Officer of the Walking Dead Universe, Scott M. Gimple, has previously addressed the potential for such a crossover. Also, longtime executive producer Greg Nicotero recently confirmed that the idea has “been talking about it for a couple of years.”
What’s happening in ‘The Walking Dead’ universe right now?
Many are hoping that an official announcement may be coming soon, with ‘Daryl Dixon’ coming to an end this fall, and another return to San Diego Comic-Con this summer may be in the cards. Season 3 of ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ will air on July 26, and ‘Daryl Dixon’ season 4 is coming later this fall.
