The Walking Dead Network Gauging Interest in Negan Spin-Off After “Here’s Negan”

An AMC Networks survey is gauging interest in a Jeffrey Dean Morgan-led Walking Dead spin-off after telling Negan’s backstory in “Here’s Negan.” The prequel episode, which reveals Negan’s origin story as the caretaker of his cancer-stricken wife Lucille (guest star Hilarie Burton Morgan) with flashbacks to the earliest months of the zombie apocalypse, also introduces the first future Savior when Laura (Lindsley Register) hands Negan the baseball bat he’ll ultimately use to subjugate Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors. After “Here’s Negan,” the network is surveying select viewers about their interest in “additional episodes or series exploring Negan’s backstory prior to meeting Rick’s group” on The Walking Dead.

AMC Popular Culturists, which issues monthly surveys about the AMC Networks family of programming, is asking Walking Dead viewers who tuned into “Here’s Negan” to record their level of interest in a new limited series, an ongoing series, or additional episodes highlighting Negan’s backstory. The survey is only available to AMC viewers registered to submit feedback via AMC Popular Culturists.

The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang has revealed there are no plans to tell more Negan backstory in the 24-episode eleventh and final season, but Morgan has said “no doors are closed” to a second Negan prequel after “Here’s Negan.” The episode is a partial adaptation of Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s 16-part comic book origin story of the same name, which goes on to reveal Negan’s beginnings as the leader of the Saviors after the death of his wife.

“There’s talks. There’s been some talks [about a Negan spin-off],” Morga said during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “I think that, between AMC and the good folks involved with Walking Dead, they’ve asked if there’s any interest on my end. But I think they’ve also talked to many of the characters to see who’s interested in carrying on the story, and not just Negan.”

Morgan added, “This all kind of came about, this being the last season, came about as a bit of a surprise in the middle of the pandemic. And so it was sort of a pivot for everybody and the show, storywise and otherwise, so I think we’ll see. I think there’s certainly more story for Negan, I think he’s becoming more interesting in each episode, in fact. So we’ll see.”

The Final Season of The Walking Dead premieres Sunday, August 22 on AMC. Follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter for all things TWD.