The AMC CEO Kristin Dolan said on a recent earnings call that the licensing rights for The Walking Dead are currently in play with some heavy hitters in the industry interested in some type of licensing agreement.
She also said that while AMC would like to keep some exclusive content for itself, they’re discussing a variety of options when it comes to licensing the show. The series finale of The Walking Dead aired in 2022, although there have been multiple seasons of both spinoffs: Dead City and Daryl Dixon.
Daryl Dixon is heading into season 4, which is confirmed to be the final season. Dead City is heading into season 3, which is rumored to be the final season. There was one season of The Ones Who Live, a limited series that reunited Rick with Michonne, Judith, and R.J. and was a replacement for the full feature film that had been planned.
Both Daryl Dixon and Dead City have been short-form seasons, nowhere near the 16 episode seasons of The Walking Dead. It was clear when the feature film was canceled that the network wasn’t going to invest in a big expansion of the TWDU as they had originally planned.
Will that change if there’s an influx of cash from the licensing of the show to other markets? It could.
How The Walking Dead Could Live Again
It’s unlikely that Daryl Dixon or Dead City will continue. Daryl’s character arc has been substantial, but it’s come full circle and it’s time for that to end. I haven’t watched Dead City after the first season because fuck Negan, and fuck them for continuing to victimize Maggie and ruining Glenn’s legacy.
But fans desperately wanted more of Rick and Michonne’s story, and it would be interesting to see if it could be possible to reunite as many of the OG characters as possible in a limited series to wrap up everyone’s stories.
I feel cheated that we never got the comic ending of Carl on the porch telling his kids the story of Rick Grimes. Maybe we could get Rick Grimes telling his kids his story instead? Or his grandkids? That would be healing, even though it wouldn’t make up for the disastrous decision to kill Carl off.
A Comic Reboot
Another interesting option would be a reboot of the series, but one that stayed true to the comics this time. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Andrew Lincoln being Rick Grimes, but it’s also an intriguing possibility. A series that doesn’t deviate so much from the comic would be a good way to reinvigorate the franchise without tarnishing the incredible legacy of the original show.
Rewatching With Upgrades
It’s only been a couple of years since The Walking Dead ended, so it does feel a little too soon to reboot it. But one of the things that made the show become a part of the cultural zeitgeist was how it connected with people who felt like the world was dark, unfamiliar, and hopeless.
And let’s face it, we’ve never been in a darker place culturally than we are now. It would be so healing to hear Hershel give one of one of his speeches again, or to hear Glenn tell us that we can do anything as long as we stick together, or to have Rick remind us that they’re fucking with the wrong people.
Personally, I’d love to see them rebroadcast the show from the beginning while making it a weekly event, like it used to be. A chance for people to gather together again on a Sunday night and watch the show together, sharing the fight for survival again.
To keep it fresh, there could be an official show podcast, fan events, and interactive elements that would make it fun for both new and old fans. And if you need a host or a writer for any of these events, AMC, you know how to reach me…
What do you think TWDFamily? Is it time to get the fam back together again?