'Walking Dead' anthology series will feature new, existing characters

Oct. 12 (UPI) -- AMC Networks said Tuesday it has ordered a six-episode anthology series that will focus on new and existing characters in The Walking Dead universe.

The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead writer-producer Channing Powell will be the showrunner for Tales of the Walking Dead.

The new zombie-apocalypse drama is set to go into production in early 2022 and is expected to debut on the cable network and its sister streaming service AMC+ next summer.

"The Walking Dead is a show that made television history and attracted an army of passionate and highly engaged fans," Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, said in a statement.

"We see so much potential for a wide range of rich and compelling storytelling in this world, and the episodic anthology format of Tales of the Walking Dead will give us the flexibility to entertain existing fans and also offer an entry point for new viewers, especially on streaming platforms. We have seen the appeal of this format in television classics like The Twilight Zone and, more recently, Black Mirror, and are excited to engage with fans in this new way, against the backdrop of this very unique and engrossing world."

The Walking Dead will wrap up its 11th and final season next year.