What happens when The Walking Dead meets Escape from New York? You get Isle of the Dead, the latest spinoff in The Walking Dead universe. Debuting in 2023, the six-episode first season will see Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) together on the island of Manhattan, in the post-apocalyptic world of The Walking Dead. Yes, you read that right. Maggie and Negan, together.
“I’m delighted that Negan and Maggie’s journey continues,” Morgan said in a statement. “It’s been such a ride walking in Negan’s shoes, I’m beyond excited to continue his journey in New York City with Lauren. Walkers in an urban setting has always been such a cool image, but 5th Avenue, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty? The greatest city in the world?? The backdrop is amazing, but it’s the story that Eli Jorné cooked up that is even better. Buckle up folks, Isle of the Dead is going to reinvent the TWD Universe. Huge thank you to Dan McDermott, Scott Gimple and AMC for having us back for more… we simply can’t wait.” As Morgan mentioned, Eli Journé, an executive producer and writer on The Walking Dead, is the showrunner.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Dan McDermott and the team at AMC on the next chapter in The Walking Dead Universe,” Cohan said in her own statement. “Maggie is very close to my heart and I’m excited to continue her journey against the iconic backdrop of New York City, alongside my friend and collaborator, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Eli Jorné has created something incredibly special and I cannot wait for the fans to see what we have in store for Maggie and Negan.”
Back when The Walking Dead was at its peak, audiences were shocked when then mega-villain Negan beat Glenn (Steven Yeun) to death with a bat. The same Glenn who was married to Maggie. Much has happened since then, including Cohan leaving the show for a while and Negan becoming almost an anti-hero — but Maggie did come back still hating Negan, and Negan recently left the show scared for his life because of Maggie. But, apparently, they’ll see each other again. The question is, are they friends or rivals?