Moviefone Editorial

Tag: lauren-cohan

  • ‘Twilight of the Gods’ Interview: Zack Snyder and Wesley Coller

    (L to R) Kristofer Hivju as Andvari, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Hervor, Peter Stormare as Ulfr, Jamie Clayton as Seid-Kona, Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Thea Sofie Loch Naess as Thyra in 'Twilight of the Gods'. Photo: Netflix © 2024.
    (L to R) Kristofer Hivju as Andvari, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Hervor, Peter Stormare as Ulfr, Jamie Clayton as Seid-Kona, Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Thea Sofie Loch Naess as Thyra in ‘Twilight of the Gods’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

    Premiering on Netflix September 19th is the new animated series from visionary director Zack Snyder (‘Watchmen’ and ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’) entitled ‘Twilight of the Gods’.

    The series is based on Norse mythology and features Sylvia Hoeks (‘Blade Runner 2049’), Stuart Martin (‘Army of Thieves’), Pilou Asbeck (‘Game of Thrones’), John Nobel (‘Fringe’), Peter Stormare (‘Constantine’), Jamie Chung (‘Sucker Punch’), Lauren Cohan (‘The Walking Dead’), Corey Stroll (‘Ant-Man’) and Jessica Henwick (‘The Gray Man’) amongst the voice cast.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with co-creator and executive producer Zack Snyder, as well as executive producer Wesley Coller about their work on ‘Twilight of the Gods’, Snyder’s interest in Norse mythology, reinventing it for a new audience, the freedom of animation, bringing Snyder’s unique filmmaking style to the series, the voice cast, and Hans Zimmer’s score.

    Related Article: Director Zack Snyder Talks ‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’

    Director Zack Snyder at Next on Netflix Animation Preview.
    Director Zack Snyder at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.

    Moviefone: Zack, can you talk about your interest in Norse Mythology and breaking the story for the series?

    Zack Snyder: I’ve long had an interest in Norse mythology. I think it’s easy to be seduced and captivated by the adventures of these gods. Viking gods are interesting to anybody, obviously. When we talked about the show, we had this character of Sigrid and that she was this Warrior Shield maiden. We really wanted to focus on this love affair between she and Leif because I really love the idea of the tenderness and deep connection that these two have with each other, and that through it all, through the landscape of these gods on their whims that can destroy us, but their love the thing that holds the whole universe together for them. We really loved that idea. The great thing about doing a series is that you have time to develop those relationships and really dig into the whys and wherefores of these characters. So yeah, it was super fun and super satisfying to realize.

    MF: Wesley, can you talk about the challenges of adapting Zack’s specific visual style to this animated series?

    Wesley Coller: It was a great experience. We’ve done animation before, so it wasn’t wholly new to us, but doing 2D in a series space is a whole different ask. For me, what I loved about it is I could make no assumptions, which as a producer are my favorite junctures, where nothing’s on autopilot. I must really be open to learning and being a part of a process that is new in this 2D series space. I think in terms of having that work with Zack’s style, it was a natural fit. I think the fact that here’s this beautiful 2D landscape, the designs that Zack and everybody came up with is amazing. I think it’s an amazing foundation to tell this mythical epic story where there’s man and gods and giants and dragons. I think that it created a place for the story to be told at the scale, at the pace, all the things that directorially, Zack the team wanted to do. For me, I think that it was a really just organic fit and process, and watching that take place and being a part of that was really an honor and I’m so thrilled with how it turned out.

    (L to R) Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Hervor in 'Twilight of the Gods'. Photo: Netflix © 2024.
    (L to R) Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Hervor in ‘Twilight of the Gods’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Zack, you make big movies based on big ideas, is there a certain freedom that comes with animation because you can execute anything that you can imagine?

    ZS: There is. I think that it’s fun to do a scene with something outrageous in it and not have to worry about how we’re going to do it, because that’s a big part of being a filmmaker, is the sort of puzzling out of the production methodology that would be the most effective for rendering these crazy images. I think for me, I draw, so when you draw something crazy and you’re like, “Well, how are we going to film that?” It’s a big deal. Everyone’s like, “Oh, you can’t do that.” We do hear that a lot in live action. But here they’re like, “Yeah, we’ll just make that. Why not?” So, it’s quite liberating in some ways.

    MF: Wesley, can you talk about assembling the voice cast?

    WC: I think just like anytime you’re casting, you go into that process looking for the person, the voice, that presence that’s going to really embody that character. We were talking about at one point that because it’s animation, the ask of time is less. So even our busiest friends and people we’ve worked with before, it was not a huge ask to be able to carve out a little bit of time. Zack really got to say, “You know who’d be great for this?” And we got to just go straight for those people. I’m so thrilled with the casting and I feel like the performances they deliver are just amazing. You put those (voices) in this story, this world with this visual aesthetic and I just think it’s a captivating watch.

    Twilight of the Gods (L to R) Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Pilou Asbæk as Thor in 'Twilight of the Gods'. Photo: Netflix © 2024.
    Twilight of the Gods (L to R) Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Pilou Asbæk as Thor in ‘Twilight of the Gods’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Zack, can you talk about having the opportunity to reintroduce characters like Thor, Loki and Odin to a new audience that may only know of them from the Marvel movies?

    ZS: I think that for me it was fun to get at their real Norse mythological origins. This is sort of the non-commercial version of the Norse gods and maybe it’s a fun dive to go see how flawed and crazy they really were. I think that’s just incredible. Like our Odin is just off the charts freaky, and I love him.

    MF: Finally, Wesley, can you talk about Hans Zimmer’s score and what it adds to the series?

    WC: Fortunately, we have a relationship with him and when we started talking about what to do for score, reaching out to Hans was something that we just immediately thought that would be amazing. We reached out and he put together the team and they just collectively came back to us with the most amazing score. It was funny because they came to us with the first pass, which was great, but there were some unique, edgy ideas that they had peppered in. We heard it and the note was just more of that. “Just go for it. There should be no restraints on this and have fun with it and get weird with it.” They came back on pass two and had infused so much more of that. I’m so thrilled with that. I feel like it is really part of the DNA of the story.

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    What is the plot of ‘Twilight of the Gods’?

    In a mythical world of great battles, great deeds and great despair, Leif (Stuart Martin), a mortal King, is saved on the battlefield by Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks), an iron-willed warrior with whom he falls in love. On their wedding night, Sigrid and Leif survive a wrath of terror from Thor (Pilou Asbæk), which sets them – and a crew of crusaders – on an against all odds and merciless mission for vengeance. This heroic story of love, loss and revenge, is a journey to Hell and beyond… across fantastical lands, battlefields fierce and bloody, and wars waged against Gods and demons.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Twilight of the Gods’?

    • Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid
    • Stuart Martin as Leif
    • Pilou Asbæk as Thor
    • John Noble as Odin
    • Paterson Joseph as Loki
    • Rahul Kohli as Egill
    • Jamie Clayton as The Seid-Kona
    • Kristofer Hivju as Andvari
    • Peter Stormare as Ulfr
    • Jamie Chung as Hel
    • Lauren Cohan as Inge
    • Corey Stoll as Hrafnkel
    • Jessica Henwick as Sandraudiga
    (L to R) Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Paterson Joseph as Loki in 'Twilight of the Gods'. Photo: Netflix © 2024.
    (L to R) Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid and Paterson Joseph as Loki in ‘Twilight of the Gods’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

    Movies Directed By Zack Snyder:

    Buy Zack Snyder Movies on Amazon

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  • Comic-Con 2022: ‘Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira Returning

    Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, and Danai Gurira as Michonne in AMC's 'The Walking Dead.'
    (L to R) Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, and Danai Gurira as Michonne, and Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead.’

    When Andrew Lincoln’s ‘The Walking Dead’ character Rick Grimes was spirited away by mysterious forces in a helicopter early in Season 9 of the show, fans were left wondering when he might show up again.

    And then Michonne, played by Dania Gurira, departed the following season on a quest to find the man she loves.

    We had been told around that time that their story might continue in TV movies (partly to work around Lincoln’s schedule).

    Now, though, both actors made a surprise appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con Hall H panel for the show to announce that their characters will in fact return in a new series.

    Lincoln and Gurira, who have been actively involved in conceiving the creative and the continuation of their characters’ story, will be executive producers, while Scott M. Gimple, Chief Content Officer of ‘Walking Dead’ Universe, is acting as showrunner.

    “What a great surprise for the fans at this final Comic-Con for the series that launched this universe and made television history, says Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “We couldn’t be more excited for a truly epic series finale later this year and to see Andy and Danai return in a new series they helped create, one of three new series coming in 2023 that continue the stories of so many iconic and fan-favorite TWD characters.”

    Danai Gurira as Michonne, and Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in AMC's 'The Walking Dead.'
    (L t R) Danai Gurira as Michonne, and Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead.’

    “Rick and Michonne are two of my favorite people and Danai and Andy are two of my favorite people,” Gimple says. “Working with all of them continues to be a dream come true. The three of us, along with a terrific team of ‘TWD’ all stars and incredible new voices, are crafting an insane love epic worth the long, long wait.”

    “This has been the most extraordinary journey playing Rick Grimes for the best part of a decade. The friendships I’ve made along the way are deep and lasting, so it’s fitting that I finally get to complete the story with Danai and Scott and the rest of the ‘TWD’ family, Lincoln enthuses. “I’m so excited to be returning to the screen as Rick, reuniting with Danai as Michonne, and bringing the fans an epic love story to add to the ‘Walking Dead’ Universe.”

    Gurira adds: “Michonne and this ‘TWD’ family has meant so much to me, and to continue the journey of these beloved characters, alongside Scott and Andy, both creatively and in front of the camera, and bringing ‘Walking Dead’ fans something truly special is just glorious. I can’t wait to pick up the katana again.”

    Here’s the official synopsis: “This series presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Kept apart by distance by an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive – or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?”

    While the main ‘Walking Dead’ show wraps up this year, there are a variety of spin-offs in the works, including those featuring fan-favorite Daryl (Norman Reedus), Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and anthology ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’, which starts on August 14th.

    This new Rick/Michonne series, which has yet to announce its title, will launch next year with six episodes.

    Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in AMC's 'The Walking Dead.'
    Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead.’

  • New ‘The Walking Dead’ Spin-off Series Announced

    JDM on red carpet
    Jeffrey Dean Morgan attends the ‘Talking Dead’ at Hollywood Forever on October 23, 2016 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.

    Just because ‘The Walking Dead’ is set to stumble into TV history this year, that doesn’t mean that network home AMC is ready to give up on the post-apocalyptic world just yet. Far from it, in fact, with a variety of follow-ups at different stages of development and a new one – starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan and Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee called ‘Isle of the Dead’ on the way.

    A six-episode limited series, ‘Isle of the Dead’ will follow Maggie and Negan traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror.

    Created by and to be run by ‘Dead’ scripting veteran Eli Jorné, the show will bring together two characters few thought would find common ground, especially since Negan was introduced partly by killing Maggie’s husband, Glenn (Steven Yeun). And yet, in the years since, they’ve come to an understanding, even teaming up in this 11th and final season.

    Negan with Bat
    Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’

    Though there had been talk of a solo spin-off for Cohan’s popular character a few years ago, she went through some tough contract negotiations in recent times, leading to her making sporadic appearances in season 9 and leaving the show before returning for the Season 10 finale onwards.

    “This is a very big day for the expanding universe we are building around ‘The Walking Dead’,” says Dan McDermott, President of Entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “It not only adds another compelling series to this collection, it extends our storytelling around two unforgettable characters fans have grown to love, hate or hate and then love in Maggie and Negan, brilliantly inhabited by Lauren and Jeffrey. It also lets us explore a corner of this universe located on the island of Manhattan, with an iconic skyline that takes on a very different meaning when viewed through the lens of a zombie apocalypse.”

    Says ‘Walking Dead’ chief content officer Scott Gimple: “Eli has created a chaotic, beautiful, grimy madhouse of the dead for Negan, Maggie, and fans of the show eager to discover an unseen and insane world of the ‘TWD’ Universe. Lauren and Jeffrey have always been fantastic collaborators and now, we bring that collaboration to the next level with a series that will take these characters to their limits with the world — and each other. All of us are thrilled to take you on an all new, all different ‘TWD’ epic for the ages.”

    This latest spin-off follows the likes of prequel ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and youth focused ‘The Walking Dead: The World Beyond’ and is part of a sprawling grand plan to keep the stories going.

    Anthology series ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ is scheduled to launch this year, while a show focused on Carol and Daryl, played by Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus, is expected in 2023. ‘Isle of the Dead’ should also be on screens at some point next year and there is still the lingering promise of a movie featuring Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes.

    Andrew Lincoln and Baby
    (L to R) Lauren Cohan and Andrew Lincoln in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead.’
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  • Sorry, Fans: ‘Whiskey Cavalier’ Is ‘Fully And Finally Canceled’

    Sorry, Fans: ‘Whiskey Cavalier’ Is ‘Fully And Finally Canceled’

    ABC

    What’s worse than having your show canceled? Having it (effectively) canceled twice.

    Secret agent series “Whiskey Cavalier” got the boot by ABC, but after an appeal by the series executive producer, it was reported the network was reconsidering that decision.

    At the end of the day, however, ABC stuck to their guns and pulled the plug.

    The show’s creator/executive producer David Hemingson tweeted the news today: “I just got the sad news that @ABCNetwork has passed. #WhiskeyCavalier has been fully and finally cancelled. It’s incredibly painful to say goodbye to this show and our extraordinary cast, but knowing that we made something you enjoyed – and that I believe will stand the test of time – makes it all worthwhile.”

    According to Deadline, a decision had to be made quickly because stars Lauren Cohan and Scott Foley were being courted for other projects. And producer Warner Bros. TV didn’t want to pay to hold onto the the show’s expansive sets.

    The show was launched in February with much fanfare after the Oscars, the first time the network debuted a scripted series instead of a post-awards wrap-up on Oscar night.

    The focus on “Whisky Cavalier” was reportedly why the network was so set on trimming the Oscars’ runtime, a move that resulted in a number of ill-advised — and quickly reversed — proposed alterations to the awards show.

    [Via Deadline]

  • ABC Reconsidering ‘Whiskey Cavalier’ Cancellation: Report

    ABC Reconsidering ‘Whiskey Cavalier’ Cancellation: Report

    Lauren Cohan and Scott Foley in Whiskey Cavalier
    ABC

    The fate of the ABC series “Whiskey Cavalier” was decided earlier this month, but now it seems the network is having second thoughts. Sources tell THR that ABC is considering bringing the canceled series back.

    Word of the show’s cancellation came on May 12, when star Scott Foley posted a video explaining that ABC had made the “tough call” not to order Season 2. Afterward, he, executive producer Bill Lawrence, and others connected to the show started using the hashtag #SaveWhiskeyCavalier. It may have helped, because ABC is now expected to make a decision (again) on a second season this week, per THR.

    “Whiskey Cavalier” premiered in February and centers on an FBI agent named Will Chase (Foley), who starts to work with CIA operative Francesca “Frankie” Trowbridge (Lauren Cohan) following a rough breakup. (Will’s codename is Whiskey Cavalier, hence the name of the series.) The two lead an inter-agency team of spies that deals with relationships, romance, and office politics, all while sometimes needing to save the world.

    The “Whiskey Cavalier” Season 1 finale aired on May 22, and we’ll find out soon if there will be more episodes in the future.

    [via: THR]

  • ‘Walking Dead’ Creator on Andrew Lincoln Exit: ‘He Wants to Do Something Special on the Way Out’

    ‘Walking Dead’ Creator on Andrew Lincoln Exit: ‘He Wants to Do Something Special on the Way Out’

    The Walking Dead
    AMC

    “The Walking Dead” cast and producers will be at Comic-Con today for the official Season 9 trailer and premiere date. (There’s already a Comic-Con teaser, see below.)

    Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) will be on the panel, presumably to address in some way all of the chatter about his exit. Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene Rhee) is meant to be leaving after just a few episodes of Season 9, too, but Rick Grimes has been our zombie apocalypse tour guide since he got out of that coma in Season 1.

    What is the show without Rick?

    In an interview for IMDb, Kevin Smith talked to comic book writer/executive producer Robert Kirkman about Andrew Lincoln leaving.

    “It’s looking that way,” Kirkman said, with a little chuckle. He’s notorious for trolling, but his further comments to Smith do make it pretty clear that Lincoln is really exiting the show.

    Smith asked how Lincoln leaving affects him as the writer of the ongoing comic book series, where Rick Grimes is still lead character (along with Carl Grimes). Here’s Kirkman’s response:

    “It does make the differences between the comic and the show more pronounced. But at the end of the day, it’s all about Andrew Lincoln. This is a human being. This is someone I have known for almost a decade, somebody that I love. He’s been sweating in Georgia, away from his family, for so long.”

    Here’s the part that most sounds like confirmation that Lincoln is leaving:

    “He cares about the fans. He cares about the show deeply. He wants to do something special on the way out. We have something amazing planned. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything, but anybody who has been a fan of his journey, who loves Rick Grimes, who loves the world of The Walking Dead, you’re going to want to see what we do.”

    So now they’re using Rick’s departure — death or otherwise — as a tease to try to get people to watch the show again. A lot of fans have given up along the way, leading to a massive ratings drop.

    Here’s Kirkman’s interview:

    The late afternoon (Friday, July 20) Comic-Con panel will feature this lineup, along with the full trailer:

    Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, along with executive producers Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, and Greg Nicotero. The panel will be moderated by Yvette Nicole Brown.

    Here’s the trailer tease:

    And here’s the key art AMC already shared, showing new looks for Rick and Maggie after the coming time jump:

    The Walking Dead Season 9 key art
    AMC

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  • AMC’s First Look at ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 Shows Time Jump Changes

    AMC’s First Look at ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 Shows Time Jump Changes

    The Walking Dead Season 8
    Gene Page/AMC

    You know, Maggie may never look pregnant for even a day on “The Walking Dead.”

    TWD Season 9 premieres this October, and we’ve been told a time jump is coming. That’s in keeping with Robert Kirkman’s comic book, which had a significant time jump — about two years — right after the All Out War storyline.

    AMC just shared key art for Season 9, ahead of the San Diego Comic-Con panel. It’s always interesting to see who and what they focus on in these posters.

    The Walking Dead Season 9 key art
    AMC

    This time, we clearly see Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) with a new look — a buzz cut vs. his long hair in the Season 8 finale. Michonne and Carol are also featured on one side of Rick, with Daryl and a longer-haired Maggie on the other. Those “sides” are probably not coincidental.

    We also see a new setting for TWD — Washington, D.C. We’ve been spending a lot of time in Alexandria, Virginia, and the outskirts of the capital, but now it looks like we’re finally going to spend time around the Capitol. Maybe we’ll also see how the White House fared in the zombie apocalypse. Based on this glimpse, the city didn’t fare well.

    Also, don’t miss that helicopter shot. We may finally get some answers on that thing — but probably not before they tease it out a few more times. You know this show.

    AMC also shared the panel lineups for “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead” at Comic-Con. Here’s the TWD panel:

    Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, along with executive producers Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, and Greg Nicotero. The panel will be moderated by Yvette Nicole Brown.

    Comic-Con should give fans the big official Season 9 trailer, and an official premiere date in October.

    You’ve probably heard that both Lauren Cohan (Maggie) and Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) are leaving early on in Season 9. Neither star has confirmed that themselves, so it will be interesting to hear how they handle the very public news swirling around them.

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  • ‘The Walking Dead’ New Showrunner Confirms Time Jump in ‘Fresh,’ ‘Fun’ Season 9

    “The Walking Dead” is now filming Season 9 with its fourth showrunner, Angela Kang. She’s been part of the team as the writer of several past episodes, and she inherited the mess left by Scott Gimple.

    During the “Kick-Ass Women of AMC” panel, Kang talked about what’s ahead in Season 9. She confirmed a time jump is indeed coming:

    “We’re playing with time in the season, so we get to jump forward in the story.”

    That news came via The Hollywood Reporter, which added, “That confirmed that the AMC drama will indeed follow the events of creator Robert Kirkman’s comic book series in which the narrative jumped forward two years following the end of the ‘All-Out War’ arc between Rick and Negan.”

    The comic book did jump two years ahead right after All Out War, but — unless they’re leaving out specifics from the panel — she didn’t seem to say the season would necessarily start two years later. Maybe it will, though, with Maggie already having her baby and the storyline skipping two years away from that dark Season 8 finale meeting between Maggie, Daryl, and Jesus.

    Speaking of Maggie Greene Rhee, though, we know Lauren Cohan will only be in six episodes this season, before she leaves for her new ABC show. Andrew Lincoln is also only supposed to be seen in a handful of episodes before he leaves as main character Rick Grimes.

    Kang didn’t address any of that, but she did promise a focus on the “core” characters:

    “We’re working on a season that has a really fresh look and feel. We come in on some pretty fun stuff. I’m really focusing a lot on the core character relationships in the show that have kind of been long-lasting, as well as all of our wonderful series regulars.”

    Since she was on a “Kick-Ass Women” panel, Kang mentioned some of the kick-ass women of TWD:

    “For people who are really invested in Michonne, Maggie or Carol, there’s such great material for them. For people who are looking for that specifically, they will see some really incredible work from our women.”

    (Since Michonne took on a lot of Andrea’s role in the comic, do you think Carol will pick up comic book Michonne’s journey?)

    Somehow, Shane (Jon Bernthal) is also going to return in a Season 9 episode, possibly to mark the end of Rick Grimes’ story as Andrew Lincoln exits stage left.

    It’s going to be a strange season, with a major time jump and the departure of at least two major characters. How many fans will tune in to say goodbye to Maggie and Rick, and (briefly) hello again to Shane?

    TWD Season 9 premieres on AMC this October.

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  • Lauren Cohan Confirms She’ll Return to ‘The Walking Dead’ for Season 9

    She’s coming back for revenge!

    “The Walking Dead” fans weren’t thrilled with how Maggie Greene Rhee’s (Lauren Cohan) story ended in the Season 8 finale. But they blamed the writers more than the character or actress, and most fans are thrilled to hear that Lauren Cohan will officially return to the role.

    Cohan was reportedly playing hardball with her Season 9 contract, and it was the perfect time to do that. Maggie is (still!) pregnant with the late Glenn Rhee’s baby, which is a story that needs to move forward in Season 9. Plus, she’s the leader of Hilltop in a post-All Out War world. And, on top of that…

    SPOILERS on the Season 8 finale!

    … Maggie, Jesus, and Daryl Dixon are involved in a secret alliance to try and kill off Negan, whether Rick Grimes and Michonne like that or not. Maggie wants revenge for Glenn, which is understandable, but fans don’t want a Civil War storyline. Still, once the show launched that storyline in the Season 8 finale, they really needed Lauren Cohan on board to follow through with it in Season 9.

    Cohan was at CinemaCon to promote her upcoming movie “Mile 22,” and Entertainment Weekly asked if she’ll return to TWD.

    “I’m going back. There’s a lot more Maggie story to tell.”

    AMC must’ve paid up! During her negotiations, Khary Payton (King Ezekiel) posted his support on Instagram, simply writing, “Pay the woman.”

    There’s still the snag of what’s happening with “Whiskey Cavalier.” During her negotiations, Cohan signed on for the ABC pilot. So how is she going to juggle both TWD — which starts filming in early May, as always — and this new show? If the pilot isn’t picked up, it won’t really be a big deal. And “The Walking Dead” does love to kill off main characters, so you never know how long Maggie will last…

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  • ‘The Walking Dead’ King Speaks Out for Lauren Cohan: ‘Pay the Woman’

    “The Walking Dead” is still unclear.

    We’re hoping she does return after the currently airing Season 8 — especially since Maggie Greene Rhee is leader of Hilltop, and still pregnant with baby Gleggie. Maggie is a key character in the future of the show. Or so you’d think.

    Is she key enough to pay more? A lot more?

    Khary Payton (King Ezekiel) thinks so. (We do, too.) He went there on Instagram, very simply spelling out what AMC and The Powers That Be need to do to keep Cohan on the show:

    Pay the woman.

    A post shared by Khary Payton (@kharypayton) on

    As Deadline noted, Payton seems to be the first of Cohan’s costars to publicly speak out during her negotiations.

    She’s fighting for a pay increase, and that fight has stalled. It was said that she originally asked for parity with Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus — the top-paid stars by a lot, it seems — but that was reportedly not a sticking point since they started on the show before her and tend to have more scenes. Deadline previously reported that AMC offered her a “modest salary increase” in exchange for a longterm contract, but that offer was rejected.

    Now is the right time for Lauren Cohan to ask for more money. TWD just lost a major character in Carl Grimes, so you’d think they wouldn’t want to lose another key tie to the comics so quickly. Plus, Maggie is pregnant and it’s hard to imagine losing Maggie and/or her baby so soon after Glenn. She’s also the leader of Hilltop and seems to be a key part of the upcoming TV storyline. So Cohan’s team is striking while the iron is hot, which is smart. Will it work?

    Cohan took a potential step away from the show when she recently landed a role on the ABC pilot “Whiskey Cavalier.” Filming that pilot led her to cancel an upcoming appearance:


    “The Walking Dead” filming schedule tends to run from May to November, so there’s still time for her to tape this pilot and return to Atlanta to start filming Season 9. What happens if ABC picks up the pilot? That remains to be seen. What happens if AMC doesn’t show her the money? That also remains to be seen, and it could look ugly.

    “The Walking Dead” Season 8 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.

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