Universal to release The Walking Dead film starring Andrew Lincoln as Rick

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

After Andrew Lincoln and his character Rick Grimes left the AMC series The Walking Dead early in the show's ninth season, flown away to an unknown location in a black helicopter, it was quickly announced that Lincoln would be back as Rick in The Walking Dead feature films, possibly a trilogy of them. 

We have been expecting these Rick Grimes movies to be TV movies that would air on AMC alongside their other Walking Dead spin-offs, but during the San Diego Comic-Con it was revealed that isn't the case. AMC and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman's company Skybound Entertainment are teaming with Universal Pictures to bring the story of Rick Grimes to the big screen.

This was revealed through a very short and simple teaser trailer which shows a helicopter flying toward a city. The title "The Walking Dead" is revealed, followed by the text: "Rick Grimes Returns Only in Theaters". This teaser can be seen below.

I'm kind of surprised by the theatrical deal, but no matter what the size of the screen was going to be I have been looking forward to finding out what happened to Rick – who, at this point on the Walking Dead TV show, has been missing and presumed dead for six years.

The tenth season of The Walking Dead begins airing on AMC this October. The spin-off Fear the Walking Dead will be returning for a sixth season, and in 2020 we'll be getting another spin-off series.

A release date has not yet been announced for the Universal Rick Grimes movie.