The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live executive producer Scott Gimple opens up about how the previously planned Rick Grimes movie trilogy evolved into the upcoming series. Following Rick’s departure from the main show in season 9, it was announced that a trilogy of theatrical films would finish his story. However, in 2022, it was announced the movies had been scrapped in favor of the new TV show.

Speaking with Screen Rant at The Ones Who Live premiere, Gimple revealed how the upcoming Rick and Michonne spinoff was born out of the original film trilogy plan. The executive producer said changes in the real world, alongside the availability of Danai Gurira, caused plans for the story to head in a new direction. Check out what Gimple had to say below:

It really was a question of just time, circumstance, the world changing immediately. And ultimately, some things changed in a remarkable way as far as — we were working on this for a while with Andy [Andrew Lincoln], and then for as long as things happened and things happened in the world, as you know, Danai [Gurira] was available at the same time. She had finished her tenure on the show, and then it was like, ‘Whoa, this is going to be very different.’ I mean, absolutely in my mind, I thought we would get to that, but suddenly, it was here. To tell you the truth, the way it all happened, it was kismet that it all came together like this because we really love working together. But we couldn’t have predicted the way the world turned, the way the landscape turned, the way the availabilities happened, a lot of it was out of left field.

Why The Ones Who Live Will Work Better As A TV Show

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is set to reveal what happened to Rick after he was captured by the mysterious CRM, a massive militarized group of survivors. In addition, it will showcase Michonne’s mission to rescue him and bring him back to their main communities in Virginia. This attempt at saving him, coupled with the new threat this group poses, justifies why the story went from a film trilogy to a TV spinoff.

Although it’s unclear what will happen in the show, Gimple’s statement implies that Michonne’s inclusion in the story is what drove them to rethink how Rick’s journey would continue. Having the plot focus on both of them makes more sense, as the story can offer a direct continuation to when both of them left the main series. Because of how sprawling both of these tales are, it makes sense for the films to be reworked into a TV show, with the format delivering a more succinct tale to viewers.

What happens in The Ones Who Live will be defining developments for Rick and Michonne’s stories across the zombie universe. As such, turning the movies into a TV show means the possibility of more seasons that further expand on the pair’s story and the threat of the CRM. Given that both Dead City and Daryl Dixon have season 2 renewals, it’s possible the same thing might happen with the upcoming show. This means its story could carry on for longer than a movie trilogy, perhaps helping tie The Walking Dead universe together again.