Andrew Lincoln to star in multiple Walking Dead films, and here’s what we know

Rick Grimes isn’t done yet — he’s just moving onto bigger and better “thangs.”

Warning: The Walking Dead spoilers are below for those who have not watched Sunday’s “What Comes After “episode. 

Rick Grimes’ time isn’t fully up on The Walking Dead.

Fans are still reeling in shock from Sunday’s episode “What Comes After,” in which Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) sacrificed himself on the bridge he tried so desperately to save for his community. What looked like our hero going out in a blaze of glory wasn’t exactly his ending though, as we later saw Jadis/Anne notice him washing up amongst the dead — just as those mysterious helicopter people touched down to collect her and her “B.” Grimes groggily wakes up to find himself being rescued, at least that’s what it looks like right now. “Space Junk” symbolically plays in the background, an ode to season 1 when Grimes heard Glenn’s voice over the radio while trapped in a tank.

Now that we’ve recapped that, brace yourselves because Rick, or in this case Andrew Lincoln, isn’t done making our jaws drop. Multiple outlets report that Lincoln will return to his role for a series of Walking Dead films for AMC.

Walking Dead chief content officer Scott M. Gimple has shared some juicy news regarding the films to Entertainment Weekly, and here are the major takeaways.

Lincoln is set for three Walking Dead movies

While Rick Grimes’ persona may never appear in another episode of the post-apocalyptic series, we’ll see our sheriff in three feature-length TV movies, with production set to start in 2019.

Say goodbye to Virginia

Since Rick is on a helicopter and all, he’s definitely headed for a new location and change of scenery. Gimple shared that the movies won’t film in Georgia, and Rick is going far away from his Southern roots.

“It’s going to be a new world — a very new situation with its own history, and very, very different from what we’ve seen before,” Gimple noted.

Walking Dead cast could appear in films (or get their own)

It’s a given, per Gimple, that Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) will be in at least one of these films if not multiple, as she was on the helicopter with Rick.

As for others who may make cameos or have large roles, Gimple kept his lips shut on specific names. He did express that multiple Walking Dead stories will be explored, either with these Rick Grimes-focused films or future series.

"We’re going to be doing a number of different Walking Dead things over the next few years. A universe of stuff… we’re going to see all sorts of different Walking Dead projects in all sorts of ways with old standbys, with new voices, which is really important to me. And they’re all going to be very different and distinct from the shows… We’re also going to see old characters — review some content with old favorites. We get to revisit them and see stories of their past that we might not have shared before."

When asked if a dominant character like Maggie, played by Lauren Cohan, could get her own film, Gimple said “there’s “absolutely a possibility.” Of course, it all depends on scheduling with her new show, Whiskey Cavalier. When Cohan was recently asked about returning to the Walking Dead series, she offered a somewhat positive “let’s see what happens.”

All we know is a Maggie/Michonne/Carol movie sounds real interesting.

Get ready for plenty of new Walking Dead content

Gimple noted that Walking Dead fans are in store for a lot — prequels, sequels, mini-series. It seems if you can think of a format, Gimple is ready to give it a shot. And it’s all for the fans.

“We’re looking at different ways to tell stories… We want to answer questions that the audience had all along. We want to see just different parts of the world. We really want to expand out the breadth of what The Walking Dead can be.”

Are you excited for more Rick Grimes? Were you shocked by his exit on the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.