‘The Walking Dead’ Boss Confirms More Series Are Coming But With a Slower Release Schedule

The ‘Walking Dead’ franchise has spent years exceeding expectations regarding how long a single zombie universe can continue to expand. What started as one flagship series in 2010 has since evolved into a vast collection of spinoffs across multiple continents, and its chief architect shows no signs of slowing down.

Scott M. Gimple, who has guided the franchise’s creative direction since becoming chief content officer, has been vocal about how far he believes the universe can still stretch. With series like ‘Daryl Dixon,’ ‘Dead City,’ and ‘The Ones Who Live,’ the franchise has consistently demonstrated that there remains a significant audience appetite for new stories set within its zombie-infested world.

This appetite is not diminishing, according to Gimple’s latest remarks. In an interview with The Direct, Gimple confirmed that more ‘Walking Dead’ series are officially in the works, though fans should prepare for a noticeably slower release pace compared to the franchise’s earlier, rapid expansion.

“There’s definitely going to be more series, both shorter things and ongoing things. The rollout will be slightly slower. But more, definitely more. There are cool things in the works. I had a lot of conversations, even this week, about that,” Gimple told The Direct in an exclusive interview.

This slower pace appears to reflect broader changes in how television is produced and consumed rather than any reduction in Gimple’s ambition. He has previously acknowledged that the franchise can “only put out so many ‘Walking Dead’ hours a year,” even as demand for new content within the universe remains high among dedicated fans.

Gimple has been notably open in past interviews about balancing quality with quantity, describing his role as managing a complex juggling act across multiple simultaneous productions rather than simply greenlighting projects to maintain a constant release schedule. This approach has already influenced decisions across the franchise, including plans for shows with varying episode counts and formats instead of adhering strictly to the sixteen-episode seasons that characterized the flagship series.

Despite the intentional slowdown, Gimple continues to express genuine excitement about the universe’s potential. He has previously discussed his desire to broaden the franchise’s geographic scope even further, following spinoffs like ‘Daryl Dixon’ that took the story to France and potentially Spain, indicating that new international settings remain firmly on the table.

Gimple has consistently framed the franchise’s longevity in nearly limitless terms, previously stating that ‘The Walking Dead’ could realistically continue through 2040 and beyond. He has pointed to comic creator Robert Kirkman’s original vision for the project, describing it as conceived from the outset as “the zombie movie that never ends.”

This philosophy has already translated into tangible results. Since the flagship series concluded its eleven-season run in 2022, the franchise has continued rolling out new spinoffs at a steady pace, with ‘Dead City’ and ‘Daryl Dixon’ both moving into additional seasons while other concepts remain in various stages of development behind the scenes.

Given how consistently Gimple has reiterated his commitment to keeping the universe alive, even while acknowledging a more measured release schedule ahead, fans shouldn’t expect the franchise to vanish from screens anytime soon. Whether this slower rollout ultimately results in higher-quality installments or simply longer waits between projects remains to be seen as these new series transition from development into production.

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