The Walking Dead spinoff is officially happening after AMC issued a formal pilot order.
The companion series will leave Rick, Carl and the rest of the Atlanta group behind to focus on new characters in a new, and as yet unknown, location.
Robert Kirkman, creator of original The Walking Dead comic series, will be returning to his post of executive producer alongside Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert, while Dave Erickson (Sons of Anarchy) will act as showrunner.
“There are many corners of The Walking Dead universe that remain unseen in the shadows,” Kirkman told Deadline.
“Being given the opportunity to shine a light into those corners and see what lurks out there is an absolute thrill.”
AMC president Charlie Collier issued a statement with the pilot announcement saying: “Almost from the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world. Beyond requests for zombie cameos, it’s the question I get asked the most.
“Obviously, we all take our stewardship of the original franchise incredibly seriously and we, along with Robert, Gale, David and now Dave, are all proceeding with extreme care in order to ensure that we are offering fans something truly compelling, engaging and distinct. We’re thrilled to be taking this next step with these remarkable partners.”
The pilot is due to air sometime in 2015.
The Walking Dead Season 5 begins 13 October at 10 pm on FOX. You can buy The Walking Dead Season 1-3 on DVD for £35 at Amazon.co.uk. Get the latest news on The Walking Dead with every new issue of SciFiNow.
