Robert Kirkman has offered an update on The Walking Dead's upcoming Rick Grimes movie. Rick Grimes is synonymous to The Walking Dead as Iron Man is to the Avengers. The long-running zombie thriller began with Rick waking up in a hospital to a world overrun by the dead. From there, Rick would become a champion of survival in the decaying world. That's why when news came Rick would be leaving the show in season 9, fans were shocked.
In 2018, Andrew Lincoln appeared in his final Walking Dead episode, "What Comes After." However, in unexpected news at San Diego Comic-Con, AMC announced the first-ever Walking Dead movie focusing on Rick. Not a lot of details have been revealed about the project since it was announced, but producer and special effects guru Greg Nicotero did say in May that the script was "well underway." Now, fans can enjoy a new update on the film.
During Skybound Xpo, Walking Dead producer David Alpert and creator Robert Kirkman gave an update on the Rick Grimes movie. Although Alpert says they can't shoot the film currently, he says, "we're coming along in a big way." Kirkman concurs, saying there will be plenty of news coming up when "things do quiet down." Kirkman's full comment can be read below:
"There’s tons of stuff going on behind the scenes. I don’t want anyone to think that we’re just kind of waiting around for this pandemic to end. I would say that, if anything, the pandemic is going to make a lot of movies better. I think the Rick Grimes movie chief among them, just because we’re getting a lot more time to cook this thing and make sure it’s perfect. But when things do quiet down, you guys are going to hear a ton more about this movie."
It's hard not to speculate how the Rick Grimes movie will look. When fans last saw him, Rick was rescued and put on a helicopter en route to an unknown destination. Like Lincoln, Danai Gurira (Michonne) has stepped away from the show. She was given a dedicated episode this season, where she found out that Rick may still be alive. If Michonne does appear in Rick's movie, that could only add more incentive to go see it in theaters. Although that is far from confirmed at this point, having the extra time to finalize the script during the pandemic could give Michonne or other characters from the show a higher chance of appearing on the big screen.
Based on the above statements, it sounds like AMC will be ready to start filming with a perfected script at their disposal as soon as the pandemic begins to die down. Although it may be disappointing that no new story details were discussed here, it's possible that something may be revealed at this year's San Diego Comic-Con since The Walking Dead will have a panel later this week during Comic-Con@Home. Regardless, it's just relieving to hear that progress is still being made on Rick Grimes' Walking Dead movie despite production being affected by COVID-19.
Source: Skybound