Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Gene Page/AMC
The sixth Walking Dead spin-off is almost here, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting releases from the franchise to date. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Season 1 offers a second life for Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira), who were seen briefly during The Walking Dead‘s finale. This is just the latest installment in The Walking Dead universe, following the successful first seasons of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City, both of which aired on AMC in 2023 and will return for second seasons.
“We … got together and have been cooking something up for y’all,” Gurira told the 2022 Comic-Con audience, alongside Lincoln, when the new series was first announced, “because we missed you and we owe you the end – the conclusion – of this story of Rick and Michonne.”
“I personally can’t wait to get my cowboy boots back on and get the band back together,” Lincoln added at the time. While Lincoln and the team initially predicted a 2023 release, the series will ultimately premiere in 2024.
Here’s everything you need to know about The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Season 1, including the official release date, the new trailer, and details about what Rick has been up to since you last saw him in The Walking Dead series finale.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live latest news
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has received its final full trailer a month ahead of its premiere date, and it’s a meaty one. You’re not going to learn anything major about the story of Rick and Michonne’s new series that you didn’t already know, but it’s got a really nice vibe, and shows off some very expensive-looking CGI. AMC spared no expense on this one, which should encourage fans. You can see all the Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live teasers and trailers in the trailer section below.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live release date
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 25 on AMC and AMC+. Season 1 will reportedly consist of six episodes, just like the Daryl Dixon and Dead City spin-offs.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live trailer
A bombshell trailer for the first season of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live dropped on Jan. 10 and gives viewers the first in-depth look at the new series. In the video, we get to see Rick and Michonne’s separate lives following the events of The Walking Dead. Rick appears to be working for the CRM (the nefarious Civic Republic Military) alongside General Beale, and Michonne seems to still be on her mission to find him. See the full 2-minute-long trailer below:
With the first look focused on the story, AMC followed it up two weeks later with the final trailer, one that’s more about selling you on the vibe of the show. There isn’t much new here, but it’ll certainly get your blood pumping if you’ve been waiting years for the return of Rick and Michonne.
In November 2023, AMC released the series’ first teaser, with commentary from Lincoln and Gurira.
What will The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live be about?
While many details surrounding The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live have been kept under wraps, some key plot elements have been revealed. According to the official description from AMC, the series “presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world.” Rick and Michonne will attempt to find each other and figure out who they are to each other. Once husband and wife, the series asks if they are now enemies, lovers, or something else. Per AMC: “Without each other, are they even alive – or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?”
Viewers last saw Rick and Michonne in The Walking Dead series finale in 2022, which wrapped after 11 seasons on air. Both had previously left the series, with Rick departing in Season 9 and Michonne leaving in Season 10, but the cameos showed that there are still more stories to be told when it comes to the duo. Rick was blown up during a sacrificial bridge explosion in Season 9 and taken by the CRM, where he was presumably put to death or held captive. In the finale, viewers see him wearing a CRM jacket and on the run from the organization. He tosses a bag with his boots, journal, and phone onto a boat just as he’s about to be recaptured, which explains the bag that Michonne found in Season 10. The discovery of the bag made her realize that her husband was still alive and set up her journey (and series departure) to find him.
In the series finale, Michonne can be seen still searching for her husband. Rick’s scene takes place at an unknown time after Season 9, so it’s safe to assume that by the time The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live picks up, he will have been living under the CRM for several years, which might explain why he seems cordial with General Beale.
Who will be in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live?
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has confirmed a few familiar faces for Season 1, including series leads Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, but the show will also feature a few newcomers to the Walking Dead universe. Pollyanna McIntosh will reprise her role as Jadis (now a member of the CRM who was responsible for Rick’s capture) from The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
Terry O’Quinn, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Gene Page/AMC
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live main cast:
Where can I watch The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live?
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live will be available to watch on AMC and the AMC+ streaming app.
