The Walking Dead has proved to be a massively successful franchise, with the TV series by AMC Studios bringing the zombie apocalypse theme to a global audience. This level of success has led to numerous spin-offs being created but will any of them prove to be as popular as the original?
The Walking Dead Slots
One example of how The Walking Dead has reached other parts of the entertainment industry comes from the world of casino slots. The idea is that players can try simple games of chance based on virtually any type of theme, so a hugely popular TV series like this is an obvious choice for a slot developer looking for inspiration and a topic that will attract a lot of players.
When playing online slots, we can see two games based on this franchise, one called The Walking Dead and the other with the name of The Walking Dead Cash Collect. Both feature symbols showing the images of the show’s main characters and the same basic gameplay, but with varying features that can be triggered as you play.
The fact that there are two slots on this theme suggests that the first one was a success. However, this is an extremely diverse and competitive market where many themes jostle for the attention of players. Having said that, it seems entirely possible that Playtech brings out a third Walking Dead slot with some new features at some point.
Tales of the Walking Dead
This spin-off series began in 2022 as the fourth TV series in the overall franchise. Focusing on a group of characters that combines some existing favourites with newcomers, the first set of six episodes on AMC+ was well received although critics pointed out that the quality varied between episodes.
It’s been successful enough that AMC has already confirmed that a second series has been ordered, with the proposed title of More Tales from the TWDU. This series seems set to continue with the format of six episodes that cover a range of new and existing characters. Each episode will again be completely self-contained and could bring back some characters who died in the original series.
Scott M. Gimple is the chief creative officer for this spin-off and he said that since it’s an anthology show there was no need for the first season to end with a cliffhanger. This is just one of several TV shows have been created to follow on from the original premise, with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City among the others, but the signs are that it could be one of the most successful.
Back to the Original?
Is there any chance that the original series is brought back to life for a 12th season? The 11th season of the original series was said to be the last. Released in 24 episodes over 2021 and 2022, it was praised for drawing the saga to a close with a satisfactory conclusion that seems to have completely killed off any chance of a 12th season.
All 177 episodes are on streaming services now but the show has definitely been cancelled, with apparently no hope of a 12th series in the future. However, while fans may be disappointed with this news, it could act as a way of boosting the public’s appetite for the different spin-offs that promise to keep the franchise alive and gain new fans for the foreseeable future.