Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan to star in NYC-set 'Walking Dead' spinoff
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With Norman Reedus' Daryl and Melissa McBride's Carol already seemingly safe to make it through to the end of The Walking Dead thanks to the announcement of their impending spin-off series, you can now cross another pair of characters off the endangered species list with the news of yet another spin-off.
AMC has announced that Lauren Cohan (Maggie) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) will follow the series finale of The Walking Dead later this year with their own series, Isle of the Dead, that will premiere in 2023 with a six-episode first season. And the show is moving to a much different backdrop. In a release, the network described the series as follows: "Isle of the Dead envisions the popular Maggie and Negan characters traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror."
Someone alert Snake Plissken, because that description definitely has Escape From New York vibes all over it. Of course, the new urban landscape will certainly differentiate the new series from the original mothership (which spent a lot time in the woods). But even more intriguing is the relationship between the two lead characters. Unlike post-apocalyptic BFFs Daryl and Carol, Maggie and Negan have a much more fraught relationship… which I suppose is what happens when one bashes in the other's husband's head with a barbed-wire covered baseball bat.
Josh Stringer/AMC (2) Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in 'The Walking Dead'
When we last saw the duo, Negan had gone his own separate way, convinced it was only a matter of time before a vengeful Maggie killed him the same way he brutally murdered her husband, Glenn. He left with a destination unknown. However, the news of the spin-off confirms that the two will cross paths again, either sooner or later.
Eli Journé, a writer and co-executive producer on The Walking Dead, will serve as showrunner on the new series, which will be overseen by Walking Dead chief content officer Scott M. Gimple. Cohan and Morgan will also serve as executive producers.
Said Cohan in a statement: "I'm thrilled to partner with Dan McDermott and the team at AMC on the next chapter in The Walking Dead Universe. Maggie is very close to my heart and I'm excited to continue her journey against the iconic backdrop of New York City, alongside my friend and collaborator, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Eli Jorné has created something incredibly special and I cannot wait for the fans to see what we have in store for Maggie and Negan."
Added Morgan: "I'm delighted that Negan and Maggie's journey continues. It's been such a ride walking in Negan's shoes, I'm beyond excited to continue his journey in New York City with Lauren. Walkers in an urban setting has always been such a cool image, but 5th Avenue, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty? The greatest city in the world?? The backdrop is amazing, but it's the story that Eli Jorné cooked up that is even better. Buckle up folks, Isle of the Dead is going to reinvent the TWD Universe. Huge thank you to Dan McDermott, Scott Gimple and AMC for having us back for more… we simply can't wait."
AMC
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