AMC has just announced additional cast members forTales of the Walking Dead, an anthology series about the world ofThe Walking Dead. This is the second wave of casting announcements for the spinoff series, which is set to premiere later this year.
Since its premiere in 2010, AMC’sThe Walking Deadhas solidified the network’s reputation for producing prestige dramas that are also bankable, engendering an entire franchise referred to collectively as “The Walking Dead Universe.” In October of last year, AMC announceda new entry in theWalking Deadcatalog:Tales of the Walking Dead, a series made up of standalone episodes that will each tell a story fromThe Walking DeadUniverse.
RELATED:The Walking Dead Cinematographer Shares Behind-The-Scenes Look At Final Season
Today’s announcement expands the cast forTales of the Walking Dead, adding Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), Danny Ramirez (The Falcon and The Winter Soldier), Loan Chabanol (The Transporter Refueled), Embeth Davidtz (The Morning Show), and Jessie T. Usher (The Boys) to its roster. These actors will joinpreviously-announcedTales of the Walking Deadcast membersAnthony Edwards, Parker Posey, Terry Crews, Poppy Liu, and Jillian Bell. Reigning over the multi-seriesWalking DeadUniverse is chief content officer Scott M. Gimple, the writer-turned-executive-producer most credited withThe Walking Dead’s ascendance (his visionary work on seasons 2 through 4 elevated the show from cult status to must-watch TV).
Speaking as part of AMC’s announcement, Gimple praised the new additions, describing them as “massive talents.” Gimple added that the newcomers “will bring new worlds of TWD to life with big, daring, different, emotional, shocking, scary, and crazy stories.“Tales of the Walking Deadshowrunner Channing Powell added that the “range of actors” would be capable of fulfilling the show’s vision to be a collection of “unique, little films.”
Tales of the Walking Deadis not the first series to embrace the anthology format. Last year,Marvel Studios' animated anthologyWhat If…?debuted to generally positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. WhileThe Walking Dead Universeis not quite as large as the multiverse of Marvel, its post-apocalyptic world has proven fruitful enough to engross viewers through three shows—no small feat, especially considering the large number of characters (and their frequent turnover rate). Few other ensemble dramas have matchedThe Walking Dead’s longevity, and with the final season about to premiere,Tales of the Walking Deadseems poised to capitalize on that.
Then again,characters drive the story ofThe Walking Dead, and audiences have continued to tune in for 11 seasons because they fell in love with the show’s characters.Tales of the Walking Deadhas gathered some tremendous talent, but there is, so far, no reason to think that any member of that talent represents more than one small story—one small part of a world, one hour of investment before the audience meets new characters.Tales of the Walking Deadwill have to do what its predecessor never quite managed: create a story that is more compelling than any individual characters. If the inhabitants of its world are any indication, the franchise is likely to survive…regardless of whether it succeeds or fails.
Tales of the Walking Deadwill premiere in summer 2022 on AMC and AMC Plus.
MORE:How Can The Final Season Of The Walking Dead Providing A Satisfying Conclusion?
