For fans in the UK, the wait is nearly over to see the next installment in The Walking Dead universe. On July 10, the second season of Dead City will air in the UK exclusively on Sky Atlantic and will also be available on NOW TV. Continuing the partnership between the services and AMC.
Dead City season 2 will see the return of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) as they continue to survive in the apocalypse, confronted not only by the undead but also by the fight for dominance in Manhattan. The series follows Maggie as she tries to keep her son, Hershel, safe and bring back past threats such as the Croat and the Dama. We will also see the introduction of some new characters, one being Bruegel, portrayed by Kim Coates.
There is a lot of excitement around this series, and I also can not wait to see all that is in store. In anticipation of the new episodes, I was honored to join a round table with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Scott M. Gimple during their time at the Canneseries Festival. And I had to ask about one of television's most iconic props!
Exclusive: Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Scott M. Gimple Dead City 2 Interview
Both Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Scott M. Gimple were in great spirits as they joined me and a handful of other journalists for a roundtable during their visit to promote the new season at the Canneseries Festival in France. They seemed to be enjoying their time at the Festival. I wanted to use my time to ask about 'that' iconic prop that has become so infamous on television, a question that got greeted with laughs.
CAITLIN: Fans saw a big reunion in the trailer for Dead City 2, and that is, of course, Negan and his beloved Lucille (Lucille 2.0). We do get to see a bit of backstory into how this happened, and with Lucille being one of TV's most iconic props, how did you feel, Jeffrey, when seeing this new version of Lucille? And Scott, how did it feel to see Jeffrey with Lucille?
MORGAN: I was excited. I missed her because, you know, we lost Lucille a long time ago, and it's been a few years of carrying around a crowbar or a lead pipe or trying to find some new weapon for Negan to be associated with. There isn't, there wasn't anything. You can't associate Negan with anything else other than Lucille, so I was a big fan of "Let's Bring Lucille 2.0 back into the Game". I was thrilled. It was probably my most exciting part of the season. It didn't matter what happens. I have Lucille back, so I'm good.
GIMPLE: There's something you know, there a part of Walking Dead that is very earnest and serious, especially when it comes to the actors. They are very dedicated. They want things to be real. They push themselves, and there's a lot of passion there. And then, there's this "little kid" element of "Norman's love for his crossbow."
Morgan laughs at Gimple's response and agrees.
GIMPLE: It was unlike anything. Jeffrey outpaces that with just the intensity with which he loves - I'm talking about Jeffrey again - I'm not talking about Negan. Jeffrey's love for Lucille goes well beyond "an actor" person. It's more like a 12-year-old person with their favorite toy or their favorite jacket or whatever, and what was funny that I saw with him and Lucille and it's, there's just a little bit more light in his eyes, which is insane cause he's giving it all to us, and yet there's just an excitement there, and there's the only thing I can equate it to is just a little, a little kid like -
MORGAN: Yeah. A Christmas morning little kid, that is. I can see that light!
GIMPLE: Andy has his things like that, and Danai has her things. It goes across the board, but this - Jeffrey's love for Lucille might outpace everybody.
MORGAN: I really do. It does a lot for the character, but it probably does more for Jeff than it does even Negan. I put her on my chair. I don't sit in my chair, but I'll put Lucille there. I hold on to her between takes. I don't let prop guys take her away. She goes to my trailer with me at lunchtime. It's weird. I am weird with my bat!
I round off my time by thanking them both. Morgan is still chuckling after his answer and replies: "I can't wait to read that article!". And, UK fans cannot wait to watch the second season of The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Sky is the official UK home for the essential shows of The Walking Dead franchise. The network offers all eleven seasons of the flagship series and episodes of Dead City, Daryl Dixon, and The Ones Who Live. UK fans can watch these amazing AMC series within The Walking Dead universe via Sky Max and the streaming service NOW.
The Walking Dead: Dead City 2 will air on Sky and streaming service NOW on July 10.