Amazon has just dropped the new trailer for a new series called The Walking Dead: World Beyond. This new exclusive series on Amazon Instant Video is billed as a new direction for the franchise, and brings a new cast to the forefront. The tone is definitely a very big departure in this new spin-off, and fans don’t like it.
Following the events of the comics and the smash-hit TV series’ The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond is taking the franchise in a new direction. Back when the new spin-off was first teased in July, we got a small glimpse into the new setting, “This is nearly 10 years after the start of the apocalypse, so this is one of those big things that is happening at the same time as The Walking Dead, but they have no idea about each other,” said showrunner Scott M. Gimple.
Fan reaction to the trailer has been pretty mixed. The majority of comments on various announcements makes it pretty clear that some segment of the TV audience is completely over The Walking Dead. Many fans seems to feel like the franchise was ruined long ago by constantly over-used plot lines and bad writing.
The TV show based on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead held solid for several seasons in terms of ratings, despite fan outrage over later years. After 10 seasons though, the series had rotted away a fair bit. Ratings for season 9 dropped lower than season 2, with the current season of the main show dropping to the lowest point ever in ratings during its premier. The 10th season just finished airing its midseason finale, so now the wait begins to see if what remains of the Grimes gang can hold it together.
It also remains to be seen if The Walking Dead: World Beyond can gain needed traction ahead of its debut. Being the third TV outing in the franchise, it certainly feels like this corpse is getting more shambling and ragged. The idea of two clashing world views in a post-apocalyptic world is interesting, but it feels like they’re going for a much safer message here than the concept deserves. I wouldn’t be surprised if this new effort goes for a very unrealistic and sappy “you can do anything if you try hard enough” ideal.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond is set for a 2020 release date.
