Isle Of The Dead: 6 Quick Things We Know About The Walking Dead Spinoff

As someone who has watched The Walking Dead for more than a decade, I have seen the rise of new shows. I remember when Fear the Walking Dead first released, when The Walking Dead: World Beyond came out, and when a plethora of new franchises taking place in The Walking Dead world began to be announced. One of those just happens to be Isle of the Dead.

The Walking Dead spinoff was announced in March 2022, and since then has been building up quite the reputation for itself, from cast announcements to what the show might have in store. For those who are wondering exactly what is going to happen in Isle of the Dead, here are six quick things that we know about the upcoming show. 

Isle Of The Dead Is Set To Premiere In 2023

While Isle of the Dead won’t be premiering on any 2022 TV schedule, we won’t have to wait long for this new series to arrive. According to the initial announcement, Isle of the Dead is set to premiere sometime in 2023 on both AMC and AMC+.

We don’t have an exact premiere date yet, but hopefully it won’t be too long before we get to see two of our favorite characters come together to travel to a new place we’ve never seen before in The Walking Dead world. With another new spinoff premiering this year, called Tales of the Walking Dead, it makes sense that the next series would come out the year after the original The Walking Dead has ended.

Both Lauren Cohan And Jeffrey Dean Morgan Will Be Back As Maggie And Negan

Another piece of news that came with the initial announcement of Isle of the Dead is that both Maggie and Negan, played by Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, would be returning as their legendary characters from The Walking Dead to star in Isle of the Dead. 

As someone who is a fan of both of their characters, I am so excited to see what this means going forward. Maggie, who was absent for a good part of Seasons 9 and 10, is finally back and acting as badass as ever. Negan, who has gone from one of TV’s most brutal villains to a great antihero, has become a Walking Dead fan favorite. And with their interesting dynamic in The Walking Dead, I’m eager to see how they will interact in their own spinoff.

Isle Of The Dead Will Also Star Gaius Charles

There haven’t been that many casting announcements for Isle of the Dead so far besides Maggie and Negan returning, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any at all. According to Deadline, Gaius Charles, known primarily for his roles in Friday Night Lights and Grey’s Anatomy, has signed on to Isle of the Dead.

The article describes Charles’ character as Perlie Armstong, an antagonist of the show with a ruthless side that he will use to achieve his grand goals. He is married and has a daughter, and will do anything to keep them safe and build a world for them. 

The Walking Dead had some awesome villains over the course of its eleven-season run, and honestly, I’ve always been a huge fan of the more ruthless ones, so I’m eager to see exactly what Charles is going to bring to the table when he gets to play Perlie.

Besides that, no other major cast members have been announced, but I’m sure that it’s only a matter of time before we get to hear more updates about this anticipated show. 

Isle Of The Dead Will Take Place In A Post-Apocalyptic Manhattan

As someone who grew up in New York and has seen so many movies and TV shows set in New York City, I am so happy to hear that Isle of the Dead will take place in post-apocalyptic Manhattan.

The series, as described by AMC, will follow Maggie and Negan traveling to the legendary city that has been cut off from the mainland and is completely overrun by walkers – as well the evil people who turn their lives upside down. 

Why exactly they are traveling there, I’m not sure, but maybe later on in the last episodes of The Walking Dead series, we might get an explanation. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Says The Show Will “Blow People’s Minds”

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has starred in several movies and TV shows and has seen many scripts. But, I have to admit, his excitement for the upcoming series gets me more excited than any other show he’s done before.

On Twitter, Morgan said that he had seen the scripts for the upcoming spinoff series, and that what they have planned will “blow people’s minds”:

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.

What exactly that means, I’m not sure, but it surely has me feeling anxious and wanting this series to arrive sooner rather than later. I hope that’s not code for someone in the show possibly getting their head blown off – I certainly don’t need any more heartbreaking The Walking Dead deaths in this series.

But, with Morgan having read the completed scripts, that makes me feel confident that they are most likely going to start production on the series soon. 

Isle Of The Dead Could Potentially Be More Than One Season 

As I said before, there are many spinoffs that have been announced, most of which have ended up being two seasons (The Walking Dead: World Beyond) or one season (Tales of the Walking Dead), so far. However, I have a theory that Isle of the Dead could potentially be more than one season. 

When AMC revealed the series, it noted that the “first season” would consist of six-episodes. This could mean that if Isle of the Dead ends up being popular enough, we might just get the chance to see Negan and Maggie in Manhattan for longer. Now that sounds like something I’d be down for. 

These characters have been in my life for many years, and while I’m bittersweet about the The Walking Dead coming to an end, and all my favorites going in different directions, I’m eager to see what the future holds for this universe. And that includes Isle of the Dead.