Production has already begun for AMC’s upcoming companion series ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ in Vancouver and showrunner David Erickson shared how the new show will go hand-in-hand with ‘The Walking Dead.’
“We are loosely covering the period of time that [The Walking Dead’s] Rick was in his coma in season one,” Erickson shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The executive producer also explained how viewers can connect the new series with the ‘Walking Dead’ storyline, particularly during the time when Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, was shot and went into a coma.
‘Fear the Walking Dead’ should also be considered as a parallel story as opposed to being a prequel as its producers have been working on the show to make it more of a “companion piece.”
“We’re playing out the idea of what was going on in the country and the world until he [Rick] woke up, stepped outside and it’s welcome to the apocalypse,” Erickson explained.
He also placed emphasis on how the upcoming show will be significantly associated with the pilot episode of ‘The Walking Dead’, hence focusing on the concept of a ‘companion series’ rather than a ‘prequel.’
“‘Prequel’ is not the right word; it’s kind of its own strange, hybrid thing. I wish I had a better word,” Erickson added.
Furthermore, the interview led on to an introduction of the characters in the new series and the ways with which the zombie apocalypse played out well for them.
‘Fear the Walking Dead’ will follow the story of a family led by Travis Curtis, who begins sharing a home with his girlfriend Madison Dickens after exchanging wedding vows.
Travis does have an ex-wife and an indignant teenager whereas Madison has her own children, one of whom has certain issues.
Despite the low chances of having their families united, both Travis and Madison seek to bring them together in one roof and sort out their concerns as one clan.
“The irony for us is that the only thing that helps accomplish that is that the world ends. What’s intriguing to me is to take these problems, which I think would make for a compelling drama, and put them in this much larger canvas and see how they play out,” Erickson explained.
Looking into such issues, he believes that such drama will be the main element that will bolster the series and push it forward into more seasons. By being a parallel story to the beginning of ‘The Walking Dead’, the new show is expected to offer a new and interesting introduction for viewers to have a glimpse of the world during the zombie apocalypse.
While Erickson promises the presence of walkers, he also emphasized the fact that ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ will closely follow the characters’ stories and how these individuals do not fully understand how the zombie outbreak came to be.
“It takes a bit of time for everyone to wrap their brains around what this truly means,” Erickson added.
Set in Los Angeles, confirmed cast members ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ include Kim Dickens (‘Sons of Anarchy’, ‘Gone Girl’) as Madison; Frank Dillane (‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’) as Nick; Cliff Cutis (‘Missing’) as Travis; and Alycia Debnam-Carey (‘Into the Storm’) as Alicia.
Other regulars include Mercedes Mason (‘Quarantine 2: Terminal’) as Ofelia and Elizabeth Rodriguez (“Orange is the New Black”) as Liza.
