Photo by Yohann LIBOT
The newest spin-off to come out of The Walking Dead franchise spent many months without a title, or was known simply as Summit. Now officially named Rick & Michonne, here is all we know so far about this highly-anticipated TV show.
The Walking Dead franchise
Based on The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, the TV show of the same name was developed in 2010 for AMC. The world of The Walking Dead explores a post-apocalyptic earth that has been overrun by “walkers”, from the perspective of a sheriff’s deputy in Atlanta, Georgia, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). After realizing what had happened, Rick becomes the leader of an unlikely group of people who all band together to keep one another safe, which later becomes known as the Alexandria Safe-Zone.
Since the franchise’s beginning, The Walking Dead has spawned eleven seasons and 177 episodes of the titular series alone, in addition to several spin off series such as Fear the Walking Dead (2015-), The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020-21), and the first sequel, The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023). The franchise has also taken the series from TV screens into other media. An example is official casino games, such as online slots like The Walking Dead Online Slot and The Walking Dead Cash Collect, where players are transported into the post-apocalyptic world, and attempt to escape to the Safe Zone.
Most recently, two more spin-off series have been announced. Firstly, scheduled for release sometime in 2023, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon follows Norman Reedus’ character over six episodes after he finds himself on the shores of France with no recollection of how he got there. The second of these spin-offs, The Walking Dead: Rick & Michonne marks the return of Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, despite leaving the show in season nine and ten respectively, and thus is already being hailed as a highly anticipated show of 2024.
Photo by Henrik L.
What we know so far
Though the plot of the Rick & Michonne spin-off has been kept tightly under wraps, we do know that the show will inevitably follow Rick Grimes and Michonne, with Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira reprising their roles from the original series. Pollyana McIntosh will also return as Jadis Stokes / Anne. The spin-off has been written and created by Scott M. Gimple and Danai Gurira herself, and is thought to follow on from the finale of season eleven of The Walking Dead, where Rick and Michonne first made a reappearance into the narrative of the franchise.
Filming for the show took place between February and March of 2023, as viral behind the scenes photos show Lincoln and Gurira on location in Jersey City, New Jersey. The pair were snapped filming in a scene frantically jumping into a yellow pick-up truck, and making a hasty escape, which suggests that this series will be as action-packed and adrenaline-filled as the others. Whether they are escaping from walkers or the CRM, though, we will have to wait to find out.
The Walking Dead: Rick & Michonne will premier sometime in 2024 on AMC in the US, and will likely also be available on AMC+. In the UK, existing The Walking Dead shows are available across various platforms like Star (on Disney+), Amazon Prime, BT, and Sky, so it is yet unknown where and when the show will premier in the region.
