The Walking Dead films have been cancelled – and replaced with an Andrew Lincoln-led spin-off series

Fans celebrated Rick Grimes’ much-anticipated return to the Walking Dead universe

The Walking Dead is expanding its universe – only not in the way fans expected.

A spin-off series centred around Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne Hawthorne (Danai Guirira) has been announced.

The two actors made a special appearance at the final ever The Walking Dead panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday (22 July) to announce the news to an audience of ecstatic fans.

The spin-off – which will consist of six episodes and is expected to be released next year – is moving forward in place of the previously announced Walking Dead film trilogy, which had been set to be led by Lincoln’s fan-favourite character.

According to the logline for the as of yet untitled show, it “presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world”.

It continued: “Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living.

“Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive – or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?”

Scott Gimple – the showrunner for The Walking Dead from series four through to eight – will serve as showrunner on the spin-off. Lincoln and Gurira are executive producers.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira as Michonne in ‘The Walking Dead’

In a statement, Gimple said that the team are “crafting an insane love epic worth the long, long wait”.

Lincoln added: “I’m so excited to be returning to the screen as Rick, reuniting with Danai as Michonne, and bringing the fans an epic love story to add to the Walking Dead universe.”

Lincoln – who played Rick Grimes, the protagonist of the series – exited the show in season nine in 2018 after nearly a decade playing the character. His final appearance came during the fifth episode.

Gurira left the series in season 10 after seven seasons of playing Michonne.

Also revealed during the panel was a trailer for the show’s final run. Season 11’s final eight episodes will air on 2 October on AMC.