This is a piece of news perhaps best taken with a pinch of salt at this stage, but it would seem that AMC is considering a follow up feature film for The Walking Dead. Bloody Disgusting broke the story, citing an unnamed source as the origin of this piece of information.
There are recent examples of TV shows being made into feature films and proving to be quite successful, such as Sex And The City and The X-Files, but I'd suggest that both of those shows' set-ups lend themselves better to a feature film adaptation than The Walking Dead.
After all, they both not only have a continuing storyline developing throughout the run of the shows, but also have episodes that work well in isolation. I'm not entirely convinced that the same could be said for The Walking Dead (although perhaps some of the strategies employed by the Battlestar Galactica TV movies might work?). Don't get me wrong – I love the show, and have been a huge fan of the comic book run for a number of years, but for me, part of the effectiveness is its characters' continuing struggle for survival. Taken in isolation, the episodes aren't nearly as effective as they are within the context of the series.
Also, when taking into account the rumoured adaptations over the years of 24, Lost and The Sopranos, you begin to see just what a challenge AMC would have on its hands. Should it happen, you would have thought it unlikely that it would focus on Rick and co. Given the success of the series, it's unlikely AMC will want to give up on that format, and sticking to the series wouldn't leave a great deal of free time for the cast to be able to undertake a feature film in their downtime.
A film set in the same universe but exploring the struggles of other characters could be an interesting approach, kind of like the format of the ongoing videogame series, or the novel, exploring the origins of a certain character. But the key would be to have some crossover with the show's existing characters to make sure it's not just another zombie film cashing in on an established brand.
Anyway, it's very early days for the project, and we're probably some years away from it going into formal production, let alone hitting screens. We'll keep you posted as we hear more.
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