The Walking Dead’s Rick Grimes Movie Will ‘Heighten’ The Stakes

Rick in The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead has had a fascinating life on the small screen, as the apocalyptic became a pop culture sensation with no signs of slowing down. The property has been expanded to two spinoffs, and there is also a Rick Grimes movie being developed, which will get a full theatrical release. News of the movie was a shocker, and helped to soften the blow once Andrew Lincoln was written off the AMC flagship series. Although Scott M. Gimple recently teased how the new movie will raise the stakes even further for Rick.

Scott M. Gimple is the chief content officer for The Walking Dead, and has had a long tenure with the zombie drama. He recently spoke about the mysterious Rick Grimes movie, which doesn't have a title or completed script yet. While its contents are a complete mystery, Gimple recently spoke to how Rick's journey through the apocalypse will be altered in the developing movie. As he put it,

We are going to continue to tell Rick’s story, and we are going to discover so much of the world through that story. Rick will be challenged in different ways that, in some ways, everything that he’s been through has sort of prepared him for. It’s a much larger world than one that he had been operating in, and that was challenging in and of itself. Now things are heightened, and just as we’re going to the movies — and it is the movies proper, suitably wide screen — we’re going to be filling that screen with a brand new world.

Well, that sounds exciting. The sky is the limit regarding Rick's story in The Walking Dead movie. Things will reportedly be heightened, both literally and figuratively. We last saw him being taken away on a helicopter, after all.

Scott M. Gimple's comments to EW are cryptic, but enticing nonetheless. The Walking Dead franchise's secrets must be kept, and the Rick Grimes is one of the overarching questions surrounding it. But while speaking in vague terms about the protagonist's return to the screen, it seems that even his many years surviving threats (both living and dead) have still not prepared him for what's going to come in the upcoming movie.

Related: The Walking Dead Star Teases New Walkers In The Rick Grimes Movie

We last saw Rick Grimes early in Season 9 of The Walking Dead, as he seemingly perished in order to protect his people from walkers. But he was actually found by Jadis/Anne, the former leader of The Scavengers. She's been shown communicating with a mysterious helicopter, and convinced whoever picked her up to bring along Rick as well. The flew off to an unknown destination, and haven't seen from since.

While it originally seemed impossible, The Walking Dead managed to move without Rick Grimes. A time jump was used to age the characters and their communities, and reveal a brand new world. But the fandom would no doubt love to see Rick on the big screen. Andrew Lincoln's performances have always been stunning, and a movie will be a very different type of storytelling.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC, and CinemaBlend will keep you updated on the developing Rick Grimes movie as details are revealed. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.