Norman Reedus open up about his character Daryl Dixon's The Walking Dead spin-off, detailing its European setting and how it's different from The Walking Dead. Reedus has been one of the main cast members of The Walking Dead from season 2 onward. However, the hit post-apocalyptic TV series is coming to an end with its final episode set to premiere on November 20. While the show is ending, The Walking Dead franchise will live on as it has spurned a staggering 6 spin-offs to date. Reedus' Daryl, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan, and Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes are all among The Walking Dead characters getting their own spin-offs.
Reedus' untitled Daryl spin-off is set to premiere sometime next year. It was first announced to be developed in September 2020, at the same time that The Walking Dead was revealed to be ending. However, the premise and details of the spin-off have shifted a bit over the years. Initially, the show was to be a Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) spin-off, until production went overseas and McBride dropped out of the project. The Waking Dead showrunner Angela Kang also departed from the project. Despite some changes, Reedus exhibited confidence in his upcoming spin-off.
In an interview with EW, Reedus opened up a bit more about his Daryl spin-off, its setting, and what it will entail. Reedus confirmed that he has already been over to France for production of the show. The European setting is quite central to the plot as the series will follow Daryl as he wakes up on the European continent with no recollection of how he got there. This sparks a mission for Daryl to get back home once more. Reedus also emphasized how different the spin-off will be from The Walking Dead, in more ways than just location. Check out his statement below:
We knew we wanted to make a show that went in the opposite direction, just because we didn't want to do the same thing. So that's what we're doing. And it's going to be way different. The story's way different. The characters are way different. There's a different tone, there's different light, there's a different sound. It's a whole different vibe... I've been going on location scouts here and stuff, but it's even more than just location. It's all the things we love about those characters and those shows, but It's going to be brand new, which I'm excited about.
While the project wasn't initially slated to take place overseas, the European setting will certainly put a new spin on The Walking Dead franchise. Additionally, it opens the door to potentially tie into other Walking Dead tales. Reedus has confirmed that the series is somehow tied to the mid-credit scene from The Walking Dead: World Beyond finale which featured a French laboratory and experiments on variant walkers. How the two shows will tie together remains to be seen, but it's clear that Reedus has big plans and motives for his specific setting.
So far, Reedus' The Walking Dead spin-off does appear to be setting itself apart from the original series. With an original series, six spin-offs, and countless other games and comics, differentiation is a necessity when it comes to The Walking Dead franchise. Daryl's spin-off will truly need to add something new to The Walking Dead to succeed, rather than just rehash the same happenings and premise of the initial series. Reedus seems up for the challenge, though, considering his rather daring decision to film the series overseas. Despite zombie apocalypses being a common premise, Reedus is still confident in his ability to create a show with an entirely new feel to it. Audiences are truly starting to see Daryl's The Walking Dead spin-off take on its shape and become its own project set apart from the original series.
Source: EW