The Walking Dead Movie: Rick Grimes' Epic Return that Nobody Saw Coming!
The Walking Dead's delay in releasing a Rick Grimes movie has cost them the audience's interest With a changed entertainment landscape, the chances of any Walking Dead movie, including Rick's solo venture, seem unlikely Let's explore what we know about the upcoming Rick Grimes show
Summary
The highly anticipated Rick Grimes film has been cancelled completely, sparking a fresh wave of anticipation for the upcoming limited series, "The Ones Who Live." This gripping six-episode miniseries will bring together Rick and Michonne once again.
The Walking Dead franchise has demonstrated its ability to thrive and grow even in the absence of Rick. Spin-offs such as Fear The Walking Dead have gained significant acclaim, resulting in decreased interest in the planned Rick Grimes movie trilogy.
The entertainment industry has undergone a transformation, with streaming platforms gaining popularity and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacting theatrical releases. Consequently, a miniseries offers greater opportunities to delve deeper into Rick's narrative compared to a two-hour film.
The confirmation of the Rick Grimes and Michonne spin-off series from The Walking Dead signifies that a movie featuring Rick Grimes is no longer viable. Prior to his role as Rick Grimes, Andrew Lincoln was recognized for his work in UK television shows like This Life and the beloved romantic comedy, Love, Actually. While The Walking Dead on AMC diluted some of the darkness found in the original graphic novel, it stayed true to its purpose of showcasing Rick's transformation as he and his group grappled with adapting to a world ravaged by apocalypse. Rick's departure in season 9 prompted the initial announcement of a Walking Dead film in 2018, but circumstances have since changed.
Throughout the first eight seasons, Lincoln served as the backbone of The Walking Dead. This is why his announcement of Rick's departure in season 9 came as a shock to fans. However, the show did not kill off Rick; instead, his exit involved risking his life to detonate a bridge, thereby preventing a horde of walkers from overrunning Alexandria. Jadis later rescued him, and he was absent from the series until its finale. Soon after his departure, three Rick Grimes movies were announced, with confirmation in 2019 that Universal Pictures would release them in theaters. Regrettably, progress on the Walking Dead film venture has gradually stalled.
The Long Wait Killed Interest In A Rick Grimes Movie
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on plans for the Rick Grimes movies, leading to a lack of updates and a loss of excitement. However, in July 2022, it was confirmed that the highly anticipated Rick Grimes movie was completely cancelled. Instead, Andrew Lincoln would be returning for an "epic" six-part miniseries that would reunite him with Danai Gurira's Michonne, titled The Ones Who Live. This announcement generated renewed excitement, especially after seeing Rick in the final episodes of The Walking Dead. However, it seems AMC also recognized that the release of the Walking Dead movie had been delayed for too long.
Initially, there were concerns about how The Walking Dead would continue without Rick. However, in the years since his departure, the show has evolved impressively and the franchise as a whole has continued to expand. Fear The Walking Dead, arguably, became the superior show, and there are also various spin-offs in the works, including the upcoming The Walking Dead: Dead City and a solo Daryl TWD spin-off series. Despite Rick's beloved character, the universe has proven that it can thrive without him. The lack of progress with the Rick Grimes movie trilogy has also caused interest in them to decline.
The Entertainment Landscape Is Different Now
: The anticipation surrounding the release of a Rick Grimes movie was met with apprehension due to the lengthy wait. Moreover, concerns arose regarding the accessibility to new viewers and the constant stream of spin-offs, which diluted the distinctiveness of a film adaptation. These factors likely influenced the decision that Rick's triumphant return would be best portrayed through The Ones Who Live. The prospect of witnessing the reunion between TWD's beloved characters, Rick and Michonne, and learning about his experiences during the missing years adds to the excitement surrounding the upcoming series. However, it is disappointing that the plans for a Walking Dead movie did not come to fruition.
The entertainment landscape has undergone a significant transformation over the past four years, shifting expectations for a Rick Grimes movie. The Walking Dead originally debuted in 2010, when traditional TV and cable dominated as the main sources of entertainment. However, streaming services have gained increasing popularity since then, prompting many viewers to abandon costly cable programs. The situation was further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which rendered movie theater visits impossible. Consequently, some films have opted to bypass theatrical releases altogether, and movies like Army of the Dead were directly released on streaming platforms.
There Won't Be Any Walking Dead Movies - Rick Grimes Or Otherwise
The original plan of The Walking Dead had to undergo changes due to the drastic transformations in the entertainment industry. Although a Walking Dead movie would have been phenomenal, a miniseries focusing on Rick and Michonne provides a vastly greater opportunity for exploration. Unlike a two-hour time frame, a six-episode miniseries allows the characters of The Walking Dead to breathe more freely and delve into the details of Rick Grimes' activities during the past two seasons.
The decision to shelve the Rick Grimes movie in favor of a miniseries means that there will not be any The Walking Dead movies at all. Instead, AMC is focusing on developing more shows within the franchise. Daryl will be getting his own spin-off, and a Maggie-Negan spin-off set in New York City is also in the works. Additionally, there will be a series centered around Michonne and Rick Grimes. AMC believes that this approach is a better idea, as it allows them to keep everything in-house and tell The Walking Dead's stories in their preferred long-form format.
What We Know About The Rick Grimes Show
The upcoming spin-off of The Walking Dead featuring Rick Grimes is titled "The Ones Who Live" and is set to be a six-episode miniseries slated for release in 2024. Andrew Lincoln will reprise his role as Rick Grimes, while Danai Gurira will return as Michonne. Joining them is Lesley-Ann Brandt (known for Lucifer and Spartacus), who will portray the enigmatic character Pearl Thorne. The miniseries promises a captivating blend of scares and action, but at its core, "The Ones Who Live" is a powerful love story between Rick and Michonne, making it one of the most highly anticipated reunions in the Walking Dead universe.
