And the dispositions of those present are equally sunny.
Ive been doing a lot of crying, series starAndrew Lincolnsays of his acting in the first few episodes.
But now we get to blow things up and do car chases and stuff.
Andrew Lincoln on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
explains the director of the chase.
Sure, if Disneyland was occupied by flesh-eating zombies and a foe-turned-friend-turned-foe with an absolutely unconscionable haircut.
Its going to be f—ing great!
‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
That is everyones hope.
And Lincolns offscreen journey has featured almost as many twists and turns as that of his onscreen counterpart.
But then, again, COVID.
Danai Gurira on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
We were planning on doing that.
But all along, there was one other story still out there: the story of Rick Grimes.
I started working on a big mythology.
Lesley-Ann Brandt and Andrew Lincoln on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
People were like, Helicopters?
What are you talking about?
So when Lincolndidfinally exit the series, I had those tracks laid, says Gimple.
Lesley-Ann Brandt on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
I had the very general idea: The character is taken away from home and the people he loves.
Hes going to want to get home.
What are the obstacles to that, and what changes him?
Pollyanna McIntosh on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
But why would Lincoln want to return home to a character he already spent close to a decade playing?
When are you coming back?
So it sort of felt impolite not to finish a story that was left dangling.
Terry O’Quinn as Major General Beale on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
There was one other much simpler reason as well.
I miss the sheriff, man, Lincoln laughs.
He’s a great guy and he’s a complicated cat.
Danai Gurira on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
Initially, it was Scott and Andy developing one pop in of story, explains Gurira.
And then when it became a miniseries, it became the three of us.
Or, as the music-loving Gimple puts it: That’s when we became a band.
Matthew August Jeffers on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
The familiarity between them led to many, shall we say, frank discussions.
And what happened when disagreements arose?
Usually Gimple just acquiesced, laughs Gurira.
Andrew Lincoln on ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC
Which was new for him, but he’s really good at it now.
The chief content officer concurs.
I said, If we’re going to do something, let’s do something brave.
Let’s not do the same thing that we’ve done for nine years.
Let’s try and reach for a different kind of story.
And what exactlyisthat story?
The two stars sayThe Ones Who Liveis primarily, more than anything else, a love story.
And that marks a big shift for the franchise.
There are times where that’s not the muscle ofThe Walking Dead, explains Gurira.
The Walking Dead’s muscle is very different from love stories.
We’re trying to stay alive.
We’re trying to thrive.
We’re trying to keep a community going.
Those were the large themes ofThe Walking Dead.
Love stories tended to be a teeny bit peripheral.
And Gurira kept exercising it.
Back on set in New Jersey, its time for the big chase scene to commence.
Cameras start rolling and the chase begins, with Satrazemis barking out orders over the walkie.
Hes coming up next to you… cut him off!
And then… Jadis car dies.
The cast and yellow safety-vest-wearing crew are forced to wait for the car to cool down.
Eventually, the car somehow makes it to the peak of the hill… and dies again.
After another wait, the car starts up for a third time… and promptly dies a third time.
He’s been dismantled by a system and has sort of lost hope.
Perhaps he’s not the same guy, andcan’tbe the same guy.
It also provides a parallel to our own world.
It’s a lot of things that we’re sort of facing now as society, notes Lincoln.
Are we empire building again?
There was a lot that was percolating that probably informed a lot of the ideas.
There will be both friends and foes within the CRM.
Thorne is someone who, once she makes a decision, she’s very strong.
She’s a fighter.
In that way, they’re very similar in their pursuit of love and family.
While Rick and Thorne will be close, fret not, Richonne shippers: They wont betooclose.
It’s nice to see a male and female friendship, says Brandt.
I’ve seen that with Carol and Daryl, and I love that relationship on the show.
Rick will need that friendship and support if he is to survive those determined to keep him captive.
There will be some of the Jadis that you will recognize fromWorld Beyond, McIntosh told EW in December.
And that face looks a heck of a lot likeTerry OQuinn.
He’s a hidden guy, the formerLoststar says of Beale.
And he is somebody who will do whatever is necessary, but won’t be threatening about it.
He seems like a completely reasonable person and the decisions he has to make are all explicable to him.
In this case, its a fair bet that the some people who may not agree will include Rick.
But make no mistake, Iwillstab him.
The Ones Who… Continue?
Can we get some blood?
asks Satrazemis back on set.
Allthe blood, responds the director.
Rick and Michonnes car has just driven straight through four zombie dummies absolutely drenched in blood.
Yet, apparently, its not enough.
Have them put on handprints, chuckles Lincoln.
You tell everyone how to do their jobs?
Whose blood is this anyway?
responds an all too excited Lincoln.
Yeah, there we go!
More, probably, chimes in fellow EP Lincoln.
All the while, Satrazemis keeps pouring.
And pouring
Man, Mikey is jacked!
We need to get him some chamomile tea, jokes Gurira.
There will be no calming tea for the director.
Nor for the uber-focused Michonne in her onscreen quest to find her husband.
Of course, there are going to be massive challenges to that.
I sometimes work out and do forms with my Katana.
I’m never that far from my sword or some weapon.
Of course, as great a warrior as Michonne is, she cant do it alone.
But there is something else that sets Nat apart from other survivors we have seen in this franchise.
I believe Nat is the first little person inThe Walking Deaduniverse, says Jeffers.
Which is significant in terms of diversity and who can be a survivor in this world.
I think that’s probably the expected thing, says Gimple.
And I think it’s more unexpected than that, who we may or may not see.
That does not mean the show will completely avoid the past.
Could it be Lennie James Morgan, who leftFear the Walking Deadexplicitly tosearch for his long lost pal Rick?
Yet when asked recently how long they want to keep jamming, the power trio remains non-committal.
Certainly, I have an opinion, answers Gimple.
But it’s a band.
It’s Danai, Andy, and me.
The actor laughs at his (hopefully?)
fake spoiler before considering.
I want the fans to be happy.
I’ll just say, I’m not a winter girl, sighs Gurira.
I like the summer.
I thrive in heat.
I’m African, and I don’t like acting in cold.
So I didn’t love that.
Her costar had his own issues.
Rick’s a Georgia boy, notes Lincoln.
He’s used to sweaty summers.
