AMC Developing “Multigenerational Universe” for ‘The Walking Dead’

AMC president Charlie Collier says the network is developing a "multigenerational universe" centered around The Walking Dead.

Focus has turned to re-energizing the fanbase and maintaining that interest as the network previously declared its intentions to extend the universe for at least another decade by way of future television spinoffs and other transmedia storytelling.

"It starts on television," Collier told Variety after a cheer-worthy New York Comic Con panel on the eve of The Walking Dead's anticipated Season Nine premiere earlier this month.

"But you've got to connect with people where they live — on TV, on the ground, online. We are spending a lot of time trying to better understand what drives our fans."

Executive producer and former five-season showrunner Scott Gimple was elevated to chief content officer, now overseeing the entire Walking Dead brand for AMC, because of the untapped potential in other content that could exist beyond the flagship series and spinoff Fear the Walking Dead, Collier said, adding the company is "in the business of Live-plus-365."

"The Walking Dead is a universe... and we have a plan to manage over the next decade, plus," said AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan during a September conference. He added the plan "is a careful plan to respect the world of the fans of that world."

In March, before the two concurrent series crossed over for the first time, Gimple told THR he intended to continue to mine the universe and expand the brand through "traditional stuff, non-traditional stuff, stuff people don't expect."

"We have a bunch of different things in mind," Gimple teased of the "cool new Walking Dead stuff" fans can expect in the near future. "Some things that are really complimentary to the stuff we're doing now and some stuff that's far afield and very different."

The brand has already experimented with short form fare like Flight 462, Passage, and the Emmy-nominated Red Machete, mini-series that aired in-between commercials of both The Walking Dead and Fear. Those followed a handful of web-isodes that debuted online in The Walking Dead's earliest days.

The company has since reportedly planned to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of future television shows and movies, according to a September report from Bloomberg.

AMC has talked to "several" large media companies about partnering on the projects, suggesting the undefined productions could take shape on the network, in the theater, and/or go straight-to-streaming as the streaming landscape continues to expand with direct-to-consumer giants like Netflix, Hulu, and the upcoming Disney Play competing in the booming streaming business.

Whispers have even hinted at Andrew Lincoln reprising the Rick Grimes role in a movie after the longtime leading man exits The Walking Dead in Season Nine. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays Negan on the TV series, has said he's long pressed for an origin movie detailing his bat-swinging bad guy.

"I'm hoping to do a variety of different projects that are probably more in line with what we see on TV but maybe in different rhythms and formats and things like that," Gimple told THR.

Executive producer and creator Robert Kirkman, who has penned his comic book series for 15 years, said recently he knows how the comic will end but noted the series won't be wrapping up anytime soon. While its live-action counterpart has long deviated from the comic books, the ongoing series could help inspire stories for years to come.

Despite the flagship series' refreshment under new showrunner Angela Kang and subsequent better critical and fan response than recent seasons, The Walking Dead recently suffered its lowest-ever ratings with its Live+Same Day numbers in the key 18-49 demographic with episode 902.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC. Spinoff Fear has been renewed for a fifth season to debut in 2019.