Will there be a movie based on The Walking Dead?

Is a movie based on AMC’s The Walking Dead coming in the future? Showrunner Scott M. Gimple is giving fans hope that the film could be a real possibility.

The idea of a The Walking Dead movie isn’t new. A show as popular as AMC’s zombie survival drama is a good candidate to make the jump to the big screen because it already has such a loyal fan base. When comicbook.com asked about the possibility of a The Walking Dead movie Scott Gimple said, “That question comes up every now and again. I’m sure one way or another, one day, it’ll happen. I think it would be cool.”

Creating the post-apocalyptic world on the big screen would be a challenge. In order for the movie to have the same appeal that the show is the writers and producers would need to reproduce the show in film format. That means getting all the actors to play the same roles and filming in familiar locations in Georgia. It also would mean condensing the story to two-hour start to finish tales. That’s something that the current writers and producers may object to.

Showrunner Scott Gimple and director Greg Nicotero have both said in interviews that the story of The Walking Dead is the most important element of the show. The story is so epic that it would be very difficult to carve it into two-hour long chunks for feature films. The Walking Dead is currently in the 7^th season and is nowhere near ending. The source material from the comic and the constantly evolving dynamics of the TV show mean the show could go on indefinitely. It’s not likely they will shift formats and start making The Walking Dead movies anytime soon.

Character Driven Movies

A good option for bringing The Walking Dead to the big screen would be to create two-hour long character driven vignettes that don’t take away from the overall story arc. Fangirls would love a movie prequel about Merle and Daryl before the apocalypse. Another option would be a movie about Rick and Shane’s adventures on the police force. There are lots of interesting ways that a character driven movie could support the show.

Feature length films would also be a great way for The Walking Dead to handle smaller storylines that it doesn’t have the time to explore on TV. A movie about how Alexandria was founded and the Alexandrians in the early days of the apocalypse would add a lot of background to the show.

Movie Theater Events for the TV Show

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It’s more likely that if The Walking Dead jumps to the big screen it will be in the format of TV episodes shown in movie theaters for specific events. Lots of restaurants and clubs hold The Walking Dead viewing parties as a way to draw customers. Sunday nights are traditionally slow for many businesses.

Adding a themed event like a Walking Dead viewing party can bring in a lot of money. Nic & Normans, a restaurant in Senoia, GA owned by Greg Nicotero and Norman Reedus, holds a weekly viewing for new episodes. The episode of the week is shown in the restaurant on a big screen and fans get a special dinner with their tickets.

Movie theater screenings of TV shows is a pretty popular way to raise interest in a show and give fans a new viewing experience. Each year BBC hit Doctor Who screens several special episodes in movie theater events around the country. HBO is considering screening some of the remaining episodes of Game of Thrones in theaters to show off the epic battle scenes. It also may release some of the last season’s award winning battle heavy episodes as immersive movie theater experiences.

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Big Screen Showings

The Walking Dead has held several large screen viewing events for fans. In 2015 the premiere episode was screened at Madison Square Garden for tens of thousands of fans. A Walking Dead movie may be something that fans get in the future. But for now it’s much more likely that fans will get to experience episodes of the show on movie screens.