‘The Walking Dead’ Executive Producer Rules Out ‘Fear’ Crossover

While on set for AMC‘s The Walking Dead‘s 100th episode, ComicBook.com had a chance to sit down and talk with Walking Dead producer Gale Anne Hurd about an important subject: when will we see The Walking Dead crossover with Fear The Walking Dead?

According to Hurd, the meeting of the two series is not something that fans should hold their breath for.

As Hurd explained to us on set:

“I don’t think so. Look, there’s so many reason that’s unlikely. First, they are on the Pacific Coast, Mexico. There are no planes. No one’s flying anymore. There’s no cross-country travel that’s easy. That’d be threading a needle, but first you’d have to find it in the haystack.”

Two Worlds Apart

That last statement implies one of the bigger issues in having the two shows conceivably meet: awareness that the characters and locations of the other show actually exist.

Right now, it’s pretty much a one-way road. The FTWD crew could only seek out the refuge of the communities we’ve seen in TWD; there’s absolutely no incentive (at the moment) for the TWD characters to head for the West Coast or urban centers of LA, San Diego, Tiajuana, and so on.

Gale Anne Hurd basically echoed as much, when pointing out that right now, the characters of The Walking Dead are embroiled in their own world of problems and concerns:

“You know, I think they [Rick and Co.] have so much on their plate right now, that thinking about the greater world is not their most important focus. I think they’re trying to not only survive the rule of Negan, but overthrow Negan. They don’t have much time for speculation.”

Future Crossover?

While it seems that a crossover between The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead isn’t in the cards at the moment, it doesn’t mean that it can’t happen at some point in the future!

If Rick, his band of survivors, and their allies from The Hill and The Kingdom actually win the all-out war with Negan, there will be even less incentive for them to explore a western expansion. However, if they lose the war with Negan and suffer heavy losses, they could be forced out of Alexandria and back on the road, fleeing Negan’s wrath. What happens in that scenario is anyone’s guess, but it does leave room for a meeting with the characters of Fear The Walking Dead. 

Speaking of FTWD, the characters are currently trying to find some kind of harmony of co-habitation on the ranch, but that dream looks like it’s in fatal amounts of danger now that Troy lured a horde of walkers to the ranch’s doorstep. By the end of Season Three, Madison, Nick, Alicia, Strand, and Daniel could be back on the road, headed back to a region that Madison thought she left behind for good. The groundwork for that journey has already been laid; within the span of another season of each show, we could easily be in crossover territory both literally and figuratively. 

There’s still the popular fan theory which speculates that Madison is in fact related to one of The Walking Dead characters. If that reveal ever happens, we’d have very solid groundwork for a shared storyline that culminates in a big crossover. A lot of it may ultimately come down to how high FTWD can raise is popularity with fans. 

Fear The Walking Dead is currently finishing up Season Three. The Walking Dead returns for Season Eight on October 22nd, including the milestone 100th episode.