AMC’s blockbuster post-zombie apocalypse show The Walking Dead has groaned, stumbled, and clawed its way into and through the hearts of horror-loving TV viewers everywhere, entering an 11th season and spawning five spin-offs. Now Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the star of one of these, Isle of the Dead, has confirmed on his Instagram that a script is set and ready to film:
While plot details are being kept under wraps, it seems that Isle of the Dead will see Morgan’s character Negan Smith, a despot-turned-good guy, navigating a zombie-infested Manhattan. As anyone who’s ever had to take the R train during evening rush hour can tell you, it that different from the way the city is today.
The script’s cover sheet shows that it was written by the show’s showrunner/executive producer Eli Jorné. Jorné began his career with comedy, starting his career as a writer on FX’s Elijah Wood talking dog sitcom Wilfred, before transitioning to drama and horror with his work on The Walking Dead. Jorné has a two-year overall deal with AMC.
Isle of the Dead will also star Lauren Cohan as her Walking Dead character Maggie Greene. Maggie had been written off the show following season nine, as Cohan had been cast in an ABC comedy called Whiskey Cavalier. Following that show’s cancellation midway through its first season, Cohan returned to The Walking Dead for season 10.
Considering that Maggie’s character arc centered around her obsession with killing Morgan’s Negan Smith, with the characters now sharing an uneasy alliance, it’ll be interesting to see how they work teamed together on Isle of the Dead.