AMC’s popular zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead will be ending later this year after 11 seasons. While it will be hard to say goodbye, there are still multiple projects in the TWD universe that are either airing or in development, with the Tales of the Walking Dead anthology unveiling first looks at its all-star cast. That spinoff list also includes the much-discussed offshoot focusing on Negan and Maggie, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared a pretty big and exciting about it with fans.
A spinoff following Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s beloved character has been in the works for a short while now, without many more details being revealed after the initial announcement, even as the spring finale of The Walking Dead unintentionally started to set up the spinoff’s narrative. In responding to a fan on Twitter, though, Morgan revealed he and co-star Lauren Cohan now know exactly what to expect from Isle of the Dead, and he thinks fans should keep a tight grip on their minds. In his words:
Cool. Here’s what I’ll say about #isleofthedead I’m BEYOND excited. Thrilled to continue this TWD journey as negan. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be working with @LaurenCohan. We’ve read the season, it’s gonna blow your minds. I repeat, BLOW YOUR FUCKING MINDS. xojd https://t.co/LZM3oNWqa2June 2, 2022
It’s not surprising that Jeffrey Dean Morgan had this extreme a reaction to experiencing the spinoff in script form, considering he’s not one for subtle responses. How exactly Negan’s New York City adventure will blow our fucking minds is obviously unknown at the moment, but finding out is a splendid enough reason to eventually check out Isle of the Dead when it debuts. And, of course, seeing him work with Lauren Cohan again will definitely be a plus for TWD fans, as Negan and Maggie continue to morph their relationship. It sounds like this spinoff will not disappoint, even if Morgan isn’t the most impartial judge on such things.
In April, the upcoming series added Grey’s Anatomy and Friday Night Lights vet Gaius Charles as the spinoff’s first original character. He will portray Izaak, who is confident and ruthless and will do anything to get what he wants, which obviously sounds a little like the Negan of old. Not much else is known about how Izaak will play a part in the new series, but he doesn’t sound like someone eager to make quick friends.
Meanwhile, Isle of the Dead will center on Negan and Maggie as they journey through a Manhattan that has long been cut off from the rest of the country, and has since changed into something else entirely. While traversing an unfamiliar new area as full of unpredictable wildlife and humanlife as it is full of walkers, the two characters have to trust each other in order to survive the trip, whose purpose is still unknown.
The series is set to have six episodes for its first season, though it does not yet have a premiere date. Fans can likely expect Isle of the Dead debut at some point in 2023, though, and hopefully now that we know that Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan have read the scripts, the projected production schedule can be come that much clearer. We’re gonna need to know well in advance when our minds will be fucking blown, just in case we need to schedule clean-up.
As of now, there is no set return date for Season 11 of The Walking Dead either, but be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for any updates and see what else to look forward to this year!
