Though it was previously set to premiere on April 12, AMC has postponed the debut of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, a two-season limited event series set in the world of the network's zombie franchise, The Walking Dead. The delay is due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The news was first revealed in a tweet that simply noted the premiere was moving. However, in a statement to GameSpot, AMC explained, "Given current circumstances, we have decided to shift the premiere of the new series The Walking Dead: World Beyond to later in the year."
While World Beyond has already completed filming on its first season, it joins a growing list of delayed entertainment releases, including a long list of blockbuster films that are changing release dates because of the pandemic--from Disney's Mulan to the highly-anticipated F9: The Fast Saga.
Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly notes that production on Season 11 of the original Walking Dead was set to begin in early May, but has been delayed by three weeks. A planned week-long hiatus on production of Fear the Walking Dead has been extended by an additional two weeks.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond is set to feature an all-new cast of characters, following a group of young people who grew up in a world overrun by zombies as they venture beyond the safe barriers of their community for the first time. The series will star Aliyah Royale Iris, Annet Mahendru as Huck, Alexa Mansour as Hope, Nicolas Cantu as Elton, and Hal Cumpston as Silas.