Jeffrey Dean Morgan was just as shocked as fans to learn that his 'Walking Dead' spinoff was announced before the show's final episodes air
- AMC recently announced rivals Negan and Maggie will get their own spinoff after "TWD" ends.
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan was shocked AMC revealed "Negan doesn't die." The show still has episodes to go.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan was just as shocked as fans that AMC announced his "Walking Dead" spinoff before the show's upcoming series finale later this year.
"I guess we know that Negan doesn't die," Morgan said during a Tuesday appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show."
"Spoiler alert, folks," Morgan continued, adding, "Sorry. I'm still not sure why we announced that already. It was sort of a shocker to me."
Earlier this month, AMC announced that Morgan, who plays Negan on the apocalyptic drama, will star in "Isle of the Dead" next year alongside "TWD" costar Lauren Cohan. The fifth "TWD" spinoff to be announced will follow rivals Negan and Maggie (Cohan) as they travel to a post-apocalyptic New York City.
Last summer, AMC announced fan-favorites Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) will also be getting a spinoff that is set to air in 2023, as well.
The news has left some fans frustrated that the network has appeared to now reveal the fates of four main cast members who will make it through the forthcoming series finale alive, lowering the stakes of the remaining episodes.
'Isle of the Dead' will film in New York City
Unlike previous "The Walking Dead" shows, which have filmed in Georgia, Texas, and Virginia, Morgan said "Isle of the Dead" will shoot up north so he'll be closer to family. The actor has a 100-acre ranch in upstate New York dubbed Mischief Farm.
"We're gonna shoot in Manhattan so I get to be home," Morgan said, adding, "I think seeing zombies in Manhattan is gonna be kind of super fantastic."
Morgan said the show will also have roots in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a studio set up near the Meadowlands where the Giants and Jets play football.
"We've got a studio in the Jersey side and then we'll shoot in the city," Morgan said.
As they wrap the final episode of 'TWD,' Morgan says everyone's 'ready to go home'
Before he starts work on "Isle of the Dead," Morgan needs to finish up the flagship series. He's currently filming the final episode of "The Walking Dead," which is set to wrap shooting later this month in Georgia.
"I think the show is going to be super cool," Morgan told Eisen. "I hope that it comes to an ending that everyone will be happy with."
Morgan later added, "We had so many issues just trying to get the script right."
Unlike previous 16-episode seasons, the final season of "TWD" is 24 episodes. During the pandemic, an additional six episodes were also filmed for the show's 10th season.
Instead of a usual six-month filming shoot, Morgan estimated that the cast has been working 17 to 18 months straight to film 30 episodes.
As a result, Morgan said it's taken some of the emotion out of filming the series' end.
"If it was a regular season, and we were only shooting 16 episodes — we did 30 this year — and we were only here for six months and not 18, it would be a lot ... there'd be a lot more emotion," Morgan said.
He added, "At this point, everybody's just ready to be done, ready to go home."
Josh McDermitt, who plays Eugene Porter on the series, recently told Insider he was ready to "sleep for a couple months" to try and recharge after the show is finished.
Those filming will have to wait a few more days.
The series' wrap was recently pushed back a few days after costar Norman Reedus suffered a concussion on set as filming for the final episode was underway on March 11.
In a statement, Reedus' spokesperson told Insider the actor is "recovering well" and is expected to return to work soon. It's unclear whether or not the injury occurred while Reedus was filming.
The final season of "TWD" is currently airing on AMC. The final eight episodes and the series finale will air later this year.
You can follow our ongoing "TWD" coverage here.