Tales Of The Walking Dead Release Date, Cast, And Images - What We Know So Far
With "The Walking Dead" now shuffling its way toward its final episodes, fans of the franchise can turn their attention to its many spin-offs. Of course we don't just mean "Fear the Walking Dead" or the now ended "The Walking Dead: World Beyond." No, it turns out that the walker apocalypse is the gift that just keeps on giving, with a seemingly endless number of struggles and stories emerging from it.
Already in the hopper is a spin-off focusing on Daryl (Norman Reedus) — though unfortunately, that series no longer includes Melissa McBride's Carol (per TVLine). There's also "Isle of the Dead," which will give us the story of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) as they make their way into New York City.
And then there's "Tales of the Walking Dead," which seems to be tweaking the formula of the "TWD" saga just a little bit. Rather than present us with one epic arc unfolding and evolving over the course of seasons, "Tales of the Walking Dead" will be an anthology series, with a new story focusing on a single character each week. Here's what we know so far.
What is the release date for Tales of the Walking Dead?
According to TVLine, AMC plans to premier "Tales of the Walking Dead" on Sunday, August 14. It doesn't end there, though. AMC's streaming service, AMC+, will be premiering the first two episodes of the season that very same night. Subsequent episodes of the anthology series will drop a week early on AMC+ starting on August 21.
In all, the first season of "Tales" will be just six episodes long. This is the same number of episodes that the first season of "The Walking Dead" got, which is hard to believe now that the flagship series has sprawled out to thirteen, sixteen, or even twenty-four episodes per season, with the current Season 11 released in three separate eight-episode parts (via IMDb).
Also of note is that, as it appears now, "Tales" will air on AMC at 9 p.m. As devoted fans of the franchise will surely recognize, this is the same hour typically used for episodes of "The Walking Dead" and "Fear the Walking Dead."
Who is cast in Tales of the Walking Dead?
"Tales of the Walking Dead" appears primed to take full advantage of its anthology format. "We get to see the apocalypse through different eyes," reads the show's official logline, "discovering more worlds, mythos and mysteries of the Walking Dead." So far, we know that we are going to be introduced to a wide array of new characters. We also know that there will be some familiar faces returning, giving us a chance to learn more about their own backstories.
Chief among these will be Samantha Morton, who we last saw in Season 10 as her character — Alpha, the sadistic leader of the Whisperers — was killed by Negan. Morton and Alpha had previously been confirmed to be featured in "Tales" (via Entertainment Weekly). We even got a bit of her own backstory, including how she and her daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy) survived the initial outbreak of the virus. Now we have also, finally, learned Alpha's real name: Dee.
Previously confirmed cast members also include Parker Posey, Terry Crews, Olivia Munn, Anthony Edwards, Embeth Davidtz, Jessie T. Usher, Daniella Pineda, Poppy Liu, Jillian Bell, and Danny Ramirez (via Variety). No other returning cast members have been confirmed at this point, but then, "TWD" is a franchise that thrives on surprise.
What do the released images tell us about Tales?
A series of stills have been released along with the premiere date for "Tales of the Walking Dead." Naturally, they show the cast members pretty much how we would expect their characters to look in the wake of society's devastating collapse: faces unwashed and unshaven, tattered clothes, a look in their eyes that is both exhausted and desperate. The one exception is Samantha Morton's Dee, whose dead stare leads us to believe she was ruthless and unfeeling even before she became Alpha.
But there's more, too. For example, we can see that Evie (Olivia Munn) and Joe (Terry Crews) share an interesting story as well. In fact, the two have gotten their hands on a sidecar motorcycle (which, let's face it, is probably one of the cooler vehicles you could snag in the apocalypse). We also know that Parker Posey's Blair and Jillian Bell's Gina will appear in the same episode, and from the look of their outfits, they were fairly well-to-do in their previous lives. Given that both actors are known primarily for their comedic chops, this may prove a more light-hearted, fish-out-of-water kind of story.
Finally, a question: what does Anthony Edwards have on his back? It looks heavy and machine-like, but it's difficult to imagine anyone having much use for a leaf-blower when traveling light in the zombie apocalypse. Is it, perhaps, a flame thrower? Are we in for some pyrotechnics in "Tales?" Looks like we'll have to wait to find out, at least until August 14.