Spinoff 'Fear The Walking Dead' Casts 'Orange Is The New Black' Star Elizabeth Rodriguez

AMC's The Walking Dead does not return for Season 6 until October, but we have some info about the spinoff, Fear The Walking Dead.

EW.com reports that Elizabeth Rodriguez from Orange Is The New Black has joined the show in a mysterious role. Guesses on who she might play?

In related news, these details about Season 6 of the main series come from the "Ask Ausiello" column at TVLine:

"Question: Can you tell us anything about Season 6 of The Walking Dead? -Jabari
Ausiello: Yup. If the recurring character of Delvin turns out to be half as cool as his casting notice makes him out to be, I have a new hero (and you likely do, too). According to the breakdown for the role, the twentysomething African-American cynic is left so dumbfounded by displays of stupidity that it's nearly impossible for him to admit that he thinks, down deep, people are - or at least can be - decent. Even if they're idiots. (I love him already.) "

This tracks with what the "Spoiler Chat" column at E! Online also reported recently:

"Joey: Why do we have to wait until October for new Walking Dead?! Any scoop to tide my hunger for zombies over?
Only because we care. Get ready to meet Delvin, a new recurring character who is quite cynical and sarcastic. He's not angry, he just thinks people can be pretty dumb. Another new character we'll see early on is Tucker, a hardworker tough guy who values fairness. Hm…"

So how long do the writers and producers plan to run this mega-popular series?

“This isn’t the kind of show where the creative team is going to say, ‘It’s important to us that we end it here,'” said Robert Kirkman at an NAB Show panel, according to TheWrap. “The story that we’re trying to tell is so big, and the framework is set in the comics — I’m producing more than 12 issues a year. All of that stuff is stuff that we would like to someday adapt into the show.”

“Our longterm goal was to tell this unrealistically massive huge story, so by going season after season after season, we actually are maintaining the integrity of what we originally set out to do,” Kirkman added. “So I think there’s a possibility to go for many, many years.”

AMC President Charlie Collier agreed. “I do think the evolution of this story and how fresh it becomes, and how real it is … and relatable, makes it something that can go for a long while,” he said.

As far as the spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead Collier did not reveal a premiere date. Kirkman said the title recalls the time period in the earlier seasons of the main show in which the characters were truly terrified of the zombies. The spinoff's title also avoids the Walking Dead: Los Angeles problem that would have been the “exact wrong thing” for the tone of the series, TheWrap notes.

What do you make of this news? Let us know in the comments section.