The Walking Dead universe consists of the main series, six spinoffs, games and more, does it need to be adapted into a musical?

Mediterrane Film Festival 2024
Mediterrane Film Festival 2024 / Tim P. Whitby/GettyImages

Walking Dead icon Danai Gurira recently reprised her role as Michonne in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff. This series featured the reunion between Michonne and Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a couple who had been separated for many years. AMC has several other spinoffs in the works, and in an interview with SFX magazine, the award-winning actress addressed the possibility of a musical adaptation of The Walking Dead.

Gurira shared that she and TWD Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple have had discussions about a musical adaptation. While discussions have took place it is highly unlikely that the idea will come to fruition, although she shares that strangers things have been done and she is fond of the theater.

Several obstacles would prevent this adaptation from ever happening, most significantly is that they don’t have the rights to the content. Gurira says they should just talk to comic creator Robert Kirkman, but this comment was made mostly in jest.

“Me and [Scott] Gimple are actually chatting about it, which is ridiculous. He’s just said we don’t have the rights to it. I’m like, ‘Well, let’s talk to [Robert] Kirkman, see what he says to that.’ I mean, we’re really largely just joking around. But stranger things have been done, and I do love the theatre… It’s about, how do you confine it to something? Because it’s just so much story. So it would really be, how do you confine it to a good two-or-three-hour play?”

– Danai Gurira – SFX magazine

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

Fans of The Walking Dead were pleased with The Ones Who Live, as they have longed to see Michonne on Rick on their screens once again. The series premiered on AMC in February 2024, showcasing the epic love story between Michonne and Rick.

TOWL_106_GP_0503_0370-RTAndrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Cailey Fleming as Judith, Anthony Azor as RJ – The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live _ Season 1, Episode 6 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC /

Another highlight of the series was the couple’s reunion with their two children, Judith (Cailey Fleming) and RJ (Antony Azor). The children were left in the care of their family in Alexandria and eventually moved to the Commonwealth. Until his reunion with Michonne, Rick was unaware he had another son. It was a touching moment that pleased fans who believed Michonne and Rick’s story wouldn’t be complete without it.

The Ones Who Live featured a significant focus on the CRM (Civic Republic Military), the organization teased in several of TWDU series. This is also the group Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) traded Rick to after rescuing him after the bridge explosion from season 9 of the main series. McIntosh also reprised her role in this series as a high-ranking member of the CRM. Seth Gilliam made a surprise cameo as Father Gabriel in flashback scenes with Jadis.

TOWL_105_GP_0420_0514-RTPollyanna McIntosh as Jadis, Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel Stokes – The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live _ Season 1, Episode 5 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC /

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live was created as a limited series and has concluded its story. The universe continues with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, the second season of this series, which premieres on AMC and AMC+ on September 29. The Walking Dead: Dead City has also been renewed for a second season expected to be released in 2025.