'Comic-Con 2020': Will 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' see more of the horror element than its predecessors?
'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' will be the start of a new journey for the AMC spin-off series. The coming-of-age zombie apocalypse drama will see new characters, new enemies and also a new breed of horror. From what we know so far, the series follows a group of teens raised in a society insulated from the gore horror the world is going through. That said, this is a chance for the franchise to reintroduce horror in new ways, something the predecessors have lacked over the last couple of seasons.
Set for a two-season run, 'World Beyond' as the title suggests is about these teens exposed to an unsafe world and this gives a chance to see some actual zombie horror. The last impressive bit of this came from 'Fear the Walking Dead' where radioactive zombies were quite chilling. With the new spin-off set in the future, this hopefully, sees the writers introduce a different and scarier version than the usual gnarly and grisly apparitions we're used to seeing.
Over the last couple of seasons of 'The Walking Dead' and 'Fear', the bigger issue fans had was the multiple, unwanted storylines that led nowhere and the focus shifting from horror to human enemies over time. While this may have been instrumental in adding depth to character development, what it did was just make the zombies an addition when in fact the whole series was about trying to survive in a virus-filled world. 'World Beyond' is the perfect chance to learn from the mistakes and go back to basics.
The official synopsis of 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' reads: "Two sisters along with two friends leave a place of safety and comfort to brave dangers, known and unknown, living and undead on an important quest. Pursued by those who wish to protect them and those who wish to harm them, a tale of growing up and transformation unfurls across dangerous terrain, challenging everything they know about the world, themselves, and each other. Some will become heroes. Some will become villains. But all of them will find the truths they seek."
The upcoming comic-con @ home will see some answers to ardent fans' questions. The Walking Dead: World Beyond' panel is slated on Friday, July 24, at 2 pm PT and will be moderated by Chris Hardwick. The panel also features the cast comprising of Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Hal Cumpston, Nicholas Cantu, Nico Tortorella, Julia Ormond, and Joe Holt along with Gimple and showrunner/EP Matt Negrete.