AMC Announces Three THE WALKING DEAD Movies Starring Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes

This week’s The Walking Dead was billed as the final episode for lead man Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln. Don’t worry, we won’t spoil how he was written off here. However, it looks like Rick does have a future in the franchise…but not in the way you’d expect.

AMC has announced that Rick will headline three movies set in The Walking Dead universe. Andrew Lincoln will reprise the role. Chief content officer Scott M. Gimple is writing the trilogy, with the first installment expected to begin shooting next year. These will be AMC Studios Original Films and will likely air on the network, which is also seeking a partner to share costs. They will also be full-length movies with big budgets.

Lincoln chose to exit The Walking Dead so that he could spend more time with his family in England. It’s unclear where production on the movies will take place. However, Lincoln is expected to be on set for two months per film, compared to a whopping nine months a year on set of the television series. As for where they fit into the franchise’s timeline….well, you’d have to look at the source link below to find out.

This move is the first step in Gimple’s plan to expand The Walking Dead universe with multiple new movies and shows. AMC programming president David Madden says that this is a “very long-term” plan for the franchise. Currently, the network has the main series and spinoff Fear the Walking Dead, with the door wide open for multiple new stories.

So, while Rick Grimes has officially left The Walking Dead, the character will live on in movies, which will accommodate Andrew Lincoln’s schedule better. Bit of a win-win for everyone.

Stay tuned for more news as we have it.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter