It seems that 'The Walking Dead' is going to stick around for a while; AMC NETwork Inc. does not only want to continue with the series for the next few years, but also would like to expand the world of the dead and make it into its own television universe, with spinoffs and films. The company is dedicated to making the zombie apocalypse into a saga along the same lines as 'Star Wars' or 'Star Trek'.
According to Bloomberg (and from the mouths of sources within the studios), AMC plans to produce various new films and television programs based on the comics by Robert Kirkman. AMC has already contacted large companies in order to create co-produced projects, since the channel hopes to create a universe reaching beyond the small screen of television.
This ambitious project is still in its initial fazes, since AMC is currently in conversation to bring their megaplan surrounding the zombie series to life. Recently the executive president of AMC, John Sapan, announced that the network planned to continue with the series for a minimum of ten years, reaching eighteen seasons. The directives aim for the channel to expand the series for a decade and create an entire TV universe around the popular series, which is one of the emblems of AMC, together with 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad'.
A 'Star Wars' style saga
Their intention is to create a franchise which lives in many forms, pointing to examples such as 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek'. In 2015 'The Walking Dead' reached 15 million viewers, however its eighth season only reached around 11 million. Despite this dramatic drop in audience, according to AMC sources 'The Walking Dead' was the second most watched series for audiences aged between 18 and 49, behind only 'Roseanne'.
"We have a plan for the future", stated Sapan in the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference on the 12th September, without revealing any specific plans. It seems that AMC wants to produces various films for television, but also for streaming platforms. The network also wants to expand its platform internationally, setting spinoffs in other countries in order to show how the apocalypse has developed in other parts of the world.
Scott Simple, who produced several seasons of 'The Walking Dead', is supervising this ambitious macro-project. Simple was the content director in both 'The Walking Dead' and its prequel 'Fear the Walking Dead'. For now, you will have to wait for the ninth season of 'The Walking Dead', which will stream on the 7th October, while 'Fear the Walking Dead' will finish its fourth season on September 30th and a fifth season has been confirmed.
