Andrew Lincoln says that The Walking Dead’s Rick Grimes movie should start filming soon. The future of Lincoln’s character, who has been with the franchise since the start, has remained in limbo ever since a helicopter (and Jadis) lifted him up in season 9 of AMC’s flagship series. Following Lincoln's exit, it was announced the walker-killing (ex) deputy would return in a trilogy of feature films explaining his absence from The Walking Dead’s final seasons.
Thanks to The Walking Dead: World Beyond, we know the helicopter that took Rick away belongs to the Civic Republic Military or CRM, a dangerous organization that polices the new society that has emerged since the zombie apocalypse. Where the CRM took Rick has remained a mystery since November 2018; however, it looks like the first movie might finally begin filming this spring.
In a recent interview with SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar), Lincoln talked about production on the upcoming The Walking Dead films. While the actor is still in lockdown, it sounds like filming should be starting soon:
"We're very excited about how, at the first available opportunity, we're going to go into production – there's talk of it being spring. I can't wait to get those cowboy boots."
Lincoln went on to clarify that he’s signed on for more than one film and the proposed trilogy is still being planned but that they just need to get the first one “absolutely right," which is one of the reasons it’s taken longer than anticipated (on top of the pandemic). The film(s) look to broaden the scale and scope of both Rick’s story and the overall The Walking Dead universe, something that already has several spin-offs under its belt with more to come.
AMC has already ordered a spin-off series focusing on Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier as well as an anthology called Tales of the Walking Dead following the flagship series’ conclusion in 2022. It’s unclear if The Walking Dead season 11 will do anything to set up the Rick Grimes movie. In regards to returning for the series’ final run, Lincoln said, “never say never.” So far, the series has set up a cinematic reunion between Rick and Michonne when Danai Gurira’s character left the series to go find Rick (and presumably meet up in the films). The Walking Dead universe is expanding well beyond Robert Kirkman’s source material, and The Walking Dead movies will diverge from it even further. If filming does begin in spring, hopefully, we’ll get to see Rick and his cowboy boots again before 2023.
Source: SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar)