Robert Kirkman talks startlingly different The Walking Dead companion series

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

“The Walking Dead” creator and EP Robert Kirkman is starting to come clean about the forthcoming companion series. And it’s about time. Codenamed “Cobalt,” all we know about it is who is in the principal cast, the setting, and… that’s about it. So what can we expect?

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kirkman seemed eager to make it clear this show is a different monster:

I will say that this is going to be a show about family,” says Kirkman. “But it’s going to be a show about a different type of family that we haven’t explored in The Walking Dead thus far. So what we’re trying to do with The Walking Dead spinoff is keep the story as familiar as possible for people that love The Walking Dead, so you’ll get the kind of things that you expect from a Walking Dead story. But, at the same time, we’ll want to tell these stories in a completely different way with completely different people in a completely different setting that’s going to make for a fundamentally different show. I think the look and feel of The Walking Dead spinoff is going to be startlingly different.”

To which I say, thank god. As much as I like “The Walking Dead” (well, sometimes; sometimes I’m bored with it), we definitely don’t need the same old thing on a different show. The original frequently finds it difficult to keep things fresh, so it’s crucial the companion series finds a new angle.

Kirkman also noted that you needn’t be a fan of the original “Walking Dead” to enjoy the companion series. (Lets be real, though, no one is going into the companion series never having watched the OG.)

We want it to be a new show that can stand on its own… You could watch The Walking Dead spinoff if you’ve never watched an episode of The Walking Dead and get a really great, rich, fulfilling experience out of it. It has to be a show that can stand on its own. I think that’s what we’ve accomplished, and we start filming in a couple of days. I’m really excited.”

We’re still awaiting word on when “The Walking Dead” companion series will debut, so stay tuned.