The zombie apocalypse begins in trailer for Z-Nation prequel Black Summer

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Although Syfy's Z Nation wrapped up its five-season run late last year, the franchise has been resurrected in the form of Black Summer, a prequel series which takes place during the early days of the zombie apocalypse; A little like Z Nation's very own Fear the Walking Dead. The upcoming series, which will be released on Netflix, stars Jaime King (Hart of Dixie) as Rose, a mother separated from her daughter who embarks on a heartbreaking journey to find her. Along the way, she joins forces with a small group of refugees and must brave a hostile new world and make brutal decisions.

I could never get into Z Nation, but it seems that Black Summer will be much less tongue-in-cheek than that first series. Co-creator Karl Schaefer, who also co-created Z-Nation, told the audience at San Diego Comic-Con that Black Summer is "before the apocalypse got weird and was just scary." Z Nation producer Jodi Binstock told Syfy last year that, "the only similarity between Z Nation and Black Summer is that the Black Summer is the first summer that Z Nation took place in. Z Nation, when it begins, is in year four of the zombie apocalypse. Black Summer is three months in; this is the first outbreak, this is when all the sh*t's hitting the fan. It's not tongue-in-cheek at all. It is as realistic as any television I've ever seen."

The official synopsis for Black Summer:

Set in the dark, early days of a zombie apocalypse, BLACK SUMMER stars Jaime King as Rose, a mother torn from her daughter who embarks upon a harrowing journey to find her. Thrust alongside a small group of American refugees, these complete strangers must find the strength they need to fight their way back to loved ones. But in order for Rose and her team to brave this hostile new world, they will need to make brutal decisions to contend with zombies – and each other.

Black Summer will debut on Netflix on April 11, 2019.