The Walking Dead spinoff—sorry, "companion series"—is going to pilot at AMC. The network announced Robert Kirkman, the co-creator of the comic book series, and Dave Erickson will co-create the companion series to The Walking Dead. The new show will be set in a different location with a new cast of characters.
Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert are also on board as executive producers. Erickson will serve as showrunner.
"Almost from the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world. In fact, beyond requests for zombie cameos, it's the question I get asked the most," AMC President Charlie Collier said in a statement. "Obviously, we all take our stewardship of the original franchise incredibly seriously and we, along with Robert, Gale, David and now Dave, are all proceeding with extreme care in order to ensure that we are offering fans something truly compelling, engaging and distinct. We're thrilled to be taking this next step with these remarkable partners."
"There are many corners of The Walking Dead universe that remain unseen in the shadows. Being given the opportunity to shine a light into those corners and see what lurks out there is an absolute thrill. I know the fans are anxious to hear what Dave and I have been cooking up for this new universe of The Walking Dead, and I'm happy to be one step closer to sharing it with them," Kirkman said in a statement.
The pilot is scheduled to go into production in late 2014. No additional details about location and casting were provided.
"I've been fortunate to have collaborated with both Robert and AMC on past projects and I'm thrilled to join them again, along with Gale and David, to build upon The Walking Dead's already epic narrative," Erickson said.
The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 9 p.m.