The end of The Walking Dead TV series is nigh, but the end of The Walking Dead franchise is nowhere in sight. Perhaps the most anticipated new development was the announcement of an anthology TV series set in the show’s particular zombie apocalypse. Or, at least, it will definitely be the most anticipated development, as the first cast announcements have been made, and they are buck wild.
Parker Posey (Lost in Space), Terry Crews (Brooklyn 99), Anthony Edwards (ER), Poppy Liu (Hacks), and Jillian Bell (the scene-stealing villain of 22 Jump Street) will all be in one episode minimum of Tales of the Walking Dead. These are stars in high-profile shows and movies, so it’s clear AMC is really going all out in trying to bring the franchise back to life (pun not intended, but only because I’ve written about TWD for over a decade and can no longer be bothered). Furthermore, Posey, Crews, and Bell all have great comedic chops, which indicates Tales will be more than just a collection of short zombies stories. In fact, this is exactly what Walking Dead head honcho Scott Gimple promises in the press release announcing the cast: “Anthony, Jillian, Terry, Parker, and Poppy are the first wave of singular talents who will further expand the Walking Dead Universe into harrowing, hilarious, heartfelt, and horrifying new realms and we couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the family, along with these terrific directors.”
Alas, since Tales is an anthology series, chances are we won’t get to see Posey, Crew, and Bell fighting off a horde of zombies together as the good lord surely intended, but I am genuinely eager to see what either a “hilarious” or “heartfelt” episode of a Walking Dead TV series looks like. So kudos to Gimple and AMC for reviving (can’t be bothered) my interest in the franchise — especially when more cast announcements are coming.
Tales of the Walking Dead is currently scheduled to arrive sometime this summer. Meanwhile, the second third of The Walking Dead’s 11th and final season premieres February 20 on AMC.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.