Now that Rick Grimes has flown the coop – literally – fans are left to wonder what’s next for The Walking Dead. Well, the season only gets more exciting from here, we’re being told, as the long-awaited arrival of The Whisperers is just around the corner now.
Comic book readers have been waiting for The Whisperers to show up for years. For those unfamiliar, though, know that the group of survivors have taken to wearing the skins of walkers to remain undetected, but they’ve actually become just as inhuman as the zombies themselves.
In the show, The Whisperers will be led by Alpha, as played by Fantastic Beasts‘ Samantha Morton, and while speaking to Access, Greg Nicotero – director, producer and all-round make-up and special effects whizz – teased that the creepy group will be “chilling,” especially Morton’s lead villain.
“Listen, we have a lot of story to tell. I’ll be really honest, the casting this season has been impeccable. All the new characters — it’s been a joy to work with them. And you take one look at Samantha Morton as Alpha, and it’s chilling. It’s chilling.”
Nicotero went on to say that one moment featuring Morton’s character is so good that it’s “one of the best scenes we shot all season.” He continued by pointing out just how enthused the crew were while making season 9, too, saying:
“I left set and the I went back to the makeup effects trailer with my crew, and they were like, ‘I can’t wait to see this season.’ My crew, the people that work on the show, are excited about it.”
“So all we can really hope is that mystery, that intrigue, the idea that there’s this whole new threat coming — and it’s terrifying. I want to get to it as quickly as we can to let people see how dedicated we are to making the show great and keeping the show great.”
The Walking Dead 9×06 “Who Are You Now?” airs on AMC this Sunday.