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For zombie lovers everywhere, The Walking Dead has been a staple favorite. Following a group of zombie apocalypse survivors who are just trying to stay alive among threats from both the undead (dubbed walkers) and what's left of an unhinged remaining society, The Walking Dead utilizes its story to showcase the human condition under critical circumstances. It's meant to move viewers emotionally, not just to scare them. Spawned from the graphic novel series of the same name, The Walking Dead gained gradual popularity after its first few seasons and ended up the most watched of any cable or broadcast series. It was nominated for many awards, including a Golden Globe Award. Ending with eleven seasons, the final episode of The Walking Dead aired on November 20, 2022, but fans haven't been left hanging. Since 2015, The Walking Dead has spawned three spin-off series: Fear The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and the anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead. More spin-offs are set to keep the franchise going, including Daryl Dixon, starring Walking Dead veteran Norman Reedus, reprising his role as Daryl trying to put together the missing pieces of how he ended up in Europe, and the untitled Rick & Michonne spin-off series, following Danai Gurira's and Andrew Lincoln's Walking Dead characters. The kickoff of these new franchise additions starts with The Walking Dead: Dead City, hitting the small screen this Spring.Dead City will follow two Walking Dead alumni, Maggie Rhee, played by Lauren Cohan (The Boy), and Negan Smith, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Supernatural). Fans of the original show might be a little surprised to see these two teamed up, as Negan killed Maggie's husband, Glenn Rhee (played by Steven Yeun) in season seven of The Walking Dead. Since then, Maggie always had a vendetta of revenge against Negan, but they patched things up in the final season. Although Maggie never forgave Negan, she'll have to trust him in order to continue surviving their apocalyptic world. With their complicated history and death surrounding them, Maggie and Negan's story is sure to be a tumultuous and thrilling one. For major Walking Dead fans, here's everything we know so far about The Walking Dead: Dead City.Editor's Note: This article was updated on May 14.
When Is The Walking Dead: Dead City Coming Out?
On January 10, 2023, we heard the news that the spinoff series would be premiering in June 2023. Now we have more concrete information on the same, as AMC has announced that The Walking Dead: Dead City will premiere right after Fear the Walking Dead's mid-season finale on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 10 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+. After the premiere, the remaining episodes of the six-episode series will air on AMC on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, with a streaming release on AMC+.
Development of the spin-off was announced back in March 2022 under the working title Isle of the Dead, and it was renamed to The Walking Dead: Dead City back in August 2022, with no real explanation as to why. Production began in New York City in July 2022 and concluded in October 2022.
Watch the Trailers for The Walking Dead: Dead City
For those anticipating a sneak peek into the deader, shinier world of Dead City, the first teaser trailer was released in November 2022, featuring snapshots of Maggie and Negan, along with some newer faces and uglier undead ones. The teaser is a 21-second, gritty, zombie nightmare that doesn't show much about what's to come, but it's gotten fans pumped for the new series. Check out The Walking Dead: Dead City teaser trailer below but that's not all.
The first footage from the series was released on March 26, 2023, followed by the first full-length trailer on May 11, 2023. The full-length trailer clocks in at roughly two minutes, providing the best look yet at the show's dangerous setting and emotional stakes. Check it out in the player below.
What Is the Plot of The Walking Dead: Dead City?
The official synopsis for Dead City reads:
"The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror."
While in the city, Maggie and Negan encounter native New Yorkers, evade a marshal with a troubled past, and hunt down a notorious killer. But as the pair moves deeper into the gritty depths of the walker-infested city, it becomes apparent that the traumas of their tumultuous past may prove just as great a threat as the dangers of the present. There are layers to Maggie and Negan's troubles, starting with their rocky history and topped with mutated walker-monsters and a killer on the loose, as well as navigating a newly formed apocalyptic society living on rooftops. Dead City will be a wild ride glistening with both nostalgia and the previously untouched skyscrapers of Manhattan.
Who Is Starring in The Walking Dead: Dead City?
Lauren Cohan is renewing her role as Maggie Rhee, widow of Glenn Rhee and the former leader of the Hilltop Colony. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is, again, Negan Smith, former leader of the Saviors and a ruthless character. He killed Glenn Rhee, and thus there is some tension between the two characters. A new face to the franchise, Gaius Charles (Friday Night Lights), will be playing the new character Perlie Armstrong, described by Screen Rant as "a devoted family man" who will stop at nothing to protect his loved ones. Like Negan, his character is a ruthless one. The series will be introducing a few more new faces, including Jonathan Higginbotham (The Blacklist) as Tommaso, Mahina Napoleon (NCIS: Hawai'i) as Ginny, Trey Santiago-Hudson (You Hurt My Feelings) as Jano, Charlie Solis as "The Bartender", and Zeljko Ivanek (Hannibal) as The Croat. In yet-unknown roles, the series has cast Michael Anthony (Secret Headquarters), Alex Borlo (Atlas), David Chen (No Exit), Randy Gonzalez (Vendetta), Alex Huynh (The Accountant), Aixa Kendrick (Sisters), Karina Ortiz (Orange Is the New Black), Caleb Reese Paul (FBI), Eleanor Reissa (Trophy Kids), and John Wu (Power Book III: Raising Kanan).
Who's Making The Walking Dead: Dead City?
There is nothing but Walking Dead vets on the production team so far. One of the writers and co-executive producers of The Walking Dead, Eli Jorné (Wilfred) is the showrunner and creator of the Dead City series. The executive producers are Jorné, Chief Content Officer of the franchise, Scott M. Gimple, who's done all of The Walking Dead series so far, Lauren Cohan, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. AMC is, of course, the network behind the show. It's a great team so far who knows what they're doing with the material, and The Walking Dead: Dead City is sure to be another zombified hit.