The Walking Dead Marks Franchise First With All Three Shows in Production at the Same Time

In a franchise first, all three shows from the Walking Dead Universe are in simultaneous [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

In a franchise first, all three shows from the Walking Dead Universe are in simultaneous production. Filming is now underway on Season 11 of The Walking Dead, the 24-episode final season of the mothership series premiering later this year on AMC. Season 6 of spin-off Fear the Walking Dead has successfully resumed filming after lengthy coronavirus-caused production delays. And two-season limited event spin-off series The Walking Dead: World Beyond has started production on its ten-episode final season, marking a one-eighty from early 2020 when all three shows out of the ever-expanding Walking Dead Universe lingered in various stages of delay amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is the 1st time in TWDU history that all 3 shows [are] in production at the same time. There's been overlap, but not this much," Walking Dead Universe chief content officer Scott Gimple tweeted. "All across the country, unbelievable crews, terrific casts, writers, producers, & walkers are afoot. We are the working dead."

In March, just days after the burgeoning pandemic forced what was supposed to be a three-to-four-week production delay on The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead out of an "abundance of caution," Gimple told THR the priority for AMC Networks was to "make sure everyone is healthy and safe."

"Like everyone else, once we're given the all-clear, we're ready to roar back. Just like with everybody else, it's this weird moment of pause," Gimple said at the time, adding that scripting work was continuing. "There are so many people who work on these shows. Between the three shows, we're talking about [numbering] in the thousands. We want everyone safe and healthy. That's the deal. We all have to pull together to make sure everyone is safe and healthy."

Roar back they did: after a seven-month delay, The Walking Dead filmed six bonus episodes over a six-week shoot in October under stringent COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The production, which is documented in a Making the Extended 10th Season special now streaming on AMC+, birthed the six new episodes that brings a season of The Walking Dead to 22 episodes for the first time in the show's decade-long history.

As for the still-untitled Walking Dead film first announced in November 2018, Rick Grimes actor Andrew Lincoln says the Gimple and Robert Kirkman-scripted film will shoot from spring through the summer for a potential 2022 release in theaters.

Season 10 of The Walking Dead returns to AMC with new episodes on February 28, followed by Fear the Walking Dead Season 6B on April 11. Follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter for all things TWD.

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