WALKING DEAD Spinoff Confirmed as FEAR THE WALKING DEAD

It's official, you need to be afraid of zombies.

The Hollywood Reporter has word that AMC's upcoming spinoff series to the hit zombie apocalypse survival series The Walking Dead has been officially confirmed as Fear the Walking Dead.

Comic book co-creator and series executive producer Robert Kirkman announced the news today on his Twitter account with the following post...

IT'S OFFICIAL! The walking dead companion show on AMC is called FEAR THE WALKING DEAD! Expect more news very soon! #FearTheWalkingDead
— Robert Kirkman (@RobertKirkman) March 27, 2015

According to the article, Fear the Walking Dead is "a prequel that takes place in Los Angeles at the onset of the zombie outbreak.  AMC confirmed that the companion series is set in Los Angeles but revealed nothing more beyond that it will focus on new characters and storylines."

The cast includes Cliff Curtis (Gang Related) as Sean Cabrera, a teacher who shares a son with his ex-wife.  House of Cards' Kim Dickens is Nancy Tomkins, a guidance counselor who works at the school with Sean and is seeing him romantically.  Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) is Nancy's son Nick Tomkins, who has battled a drug problem.  In addition, Alycia Debnam Carey (Into the Woods) will play Nancy's ambitious daughter, Ashley Tomkins, who dreams of leaving Los Angeles for Berkeley when the zombie apocalypse hits.

On March 9th, AMC announced the series pickup and second season renewal for the then-untitled series.  Kirkman, who co-wrote the pilot with Dave Erickson (Sons of Anarchy), will executive produce Fear the Walking Dead with Erickson, The Walking Dead's Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and Dave Alpert.  Erickson will serve as showrunner, and Adam Davidson will direct the pilot episode.

A trailer for Fear the Walking Dead is expected during this Sunday's Season 5 finale of The Walking Dead, with the new series premiering on AMC sometime in late summer.