AMC renewed The Walking Dead: Dead City for a third season soon after the conclusion of the series' second season. Filming has begun for the next installment of The Walking Dead spinoff, which will feature a new showrunner and some new faces, including Emmy-nominated Jimmi Simpson.
Simpson, who is known for his work in Dark Matter and Westworld, will portray Dillard, but details about the character have yet to be revealed.
Soon after the news broke, Dead City star Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared his excitement about the casting announcement on Instagram. "Ladies and gents, big huge welcome to Jimmi Simpson into the Dead City family!! Gonna be a f--kin AMAZING season!"
Simpson posted his own excitement, sharing Morgan's image, "I worked with this peach of a human 22 years ago on my first job in LA, and he welcomed me onto this new set like not a day had passed. Thank you for stayin GOLD Jeffrey Dean Morgan. And thanks AMC and The Walking Dead for lettin me into the ring. This season’s gonna be a HOOT, y’all. Buckle up."
Simpson is referring to the low-budget black comedy Road Kill that was released in 1999. The story follows a hit woman (Jennifer Rubin) who allows a college film student (Erik Palladino) and his roommate (Billy Jayne) to make a documentary about her.
Simpson has seen much success in his career and has been nominated for a BAFTA, a Primetime Emmy, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He made his film debut in Amy Heckerling's (Clueless) 2000 teen romance comedy Loser which starred Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari and Greg Kinnear.
He is currently starring in the Apple TV sci-fi series Dark Matter, which is set to premiere sometime between late 2025 and early 2026. He portrays multiple versions of Ryan Holder, a brilliant neuroscientist. He also appeared in Black Mirror, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, House of Cards, and more. He voices a demon named Abaddon who is trapped inside a young boy in the new Netflix animated series Haunted Hotel.
Simpson isn't the only new face joining Dead City. TWD veteran Seth Hoffman will take over as showrunner for the upcoming season, a role previously held by series creator Eli Jorne, who stepped down from the role. In early September 2025, Lucifer and Dexter actress Aimee Garcia was added as a series regular for season 3. She will portray Renata, a charming leader with a natural ability to win over people.
The first season of the series saw an alliance between Maggie and Negan as they worked together to rescue her son Hershel (Logan Kim). After being betrayed by Maggie in the first season, Negan is held captive in the second season, pitting them against each other in the battle for Manhattan. At the end of season 2, the duo, along with former New Babylon Marshal, Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles) vow to work together to make a better future than what was planned by others.
The Walking Dead: Dead City is currently filming and will return to AMC and AMC+ at a date that has yet to be announced.