The team behind The Walking Dead is hoping to turn it into a Star Trek-like franchise, where it continues in various iterations for decades on telly.
AMC's zombie apocalypse is currently well into its eighth season and experiencing declining ratings, but the network is outwardly showing confidence in the life of The Walking Dead.
Speaking to investors during an earnings call on Thursday (November 2), AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan expressed his desire in keeping the franchise going for the foreseeable future and beyond (via Deadline).
"The use of the word 'franchise,' we don't take lightly. It's not a sloppy or casual word," Sapan assured investors. "We've studied the best. Some have been around 30, 40, 50 years. We have a chance for a lot of life in the franchise."
Sapan later insisted that The Walking Dead is in "great shape and the people who are managing that great shape are motivated", despite the show sinking to a five-year ratings low last weekend.
The network and Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman recently announced that 2018 will see the first ever crossover between the main series and its spin-off Fear the Walking Dead.
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Fans are already speculating over which character will bridge the gap between the two shows, with the most popular choice being Michael Cudlitz's dearly departed Abraham Ford.
The Walking Dead airs on AMC in the US and on FOX and NOW TV in the UK, while Fear the Walking Dead airs on AMC in the US and BT TV in the UK.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
