The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus has revealed on Twitter the official title of his new spin-off show, and it's a title just as no-nonsense and straightforward as the man himself: Daryl Dixon.
Daryl Dixon will be the first entry in The Walking Dead's universe to take place overseas, with the crossbow-wielding hero in Paris after waking up in Europe without knowing how he got there.
After eleven seasons, countless character deaths and hordes of slain undead, AMC’s zombie apocalypse drama The Walking Dead is coming to a close. But although The Walking Dead is about to shuffle off this mortal coil, the universe will still live on as Daryl Dixon joins a series of spin-offs including The Walking Dead: Dead City (which will follow fan favourites Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan)) and Rick & Michonne, a continuation of the ‘epic and insane love story’ of Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira’s characters.
There are also a number of TWD spin-offs already out there, including Fear the Walking Dead, Tales of the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: The World Beyond. The number of spin-offs may come as a surprise for anyone who has followed The Walking Dead’s battle with declining ratings since its explosive fifth season, however the series does still bring in a relatively hefty viewership.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, AMC’s president Dan McDermott defended the amount of spin-offs by explaining that they actually provide less zombie content:
Going forward, the Rick and Michonne show is six episodes. The Daryl Dixon show is going to be six episodes. The Maggie and Negan show is going to be six episodes. We have Tales of the Walking Dead. So you're actually going to see fewer hours of Walking Dead content on our platforms.
The new Daryl spin-off was originally meant to center on Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) who, over the course of the seasons, became two of The Walking Dead’s most beloved characters. However, due to the logistical issues of filming in Europe, McBride stepped away from the project. That doesn't mean we won't see Carol hopping on the back of Daryl's chopper ever again though, with Reedus teasing at San Diego Comic-Con that "Carol and Daryl's story isn't over yet."
The final episode of The Walking Dead, appropriately titled Rest in Peace, will premiere on November 20th. Here's Reedus' official Twitter announcement, with a pretty gnarly looking Eiffel Tower front and center:
— norman reedus (@wwwbigbaldhead) October 3, 2022
