Some new details regarding The Walking Dead reality in Europe have been revealed in the first casting announcement for Daryl Dixon, an upcoming Walking Dead spinoff starring Norman Reedus' title character.
Per Deadline, Clémence Poésy and Adam Nagaitis have joined the cast of Daryl Dixon, with the actors set to play main characters Isabelle and Quinn, respectively. Isabelle is described as "a member of a progressive religious group, who joins forces with Daryl (Reedus) on a journey across France and finds herself confronting her dark past in Paris." Quinn, meanwhile, is "a displaced Brit who has become powerful in post-apocalyptic Paris as a black marketeer and the owner of the Demimonde, a sexy underground nightclub." Based on the character descriptions, Paris will seemingly not be depicted as a desolate city overrun by walkers, but instead a thriving haven for Earth's survivors that has at the very least a burgeoning black market and a secret nightclub.
Poésy is a French actor who is best known for her roles as Fleur Delacour in three Harry Potter films, Chloë in In Bruges (2008), Elise Wassermann in the crime drama series The Tunnel and Stella Ransome in Apple TV+'s miniseries The Essex Serpent. Her recent film credits include Tenet and Resistance (both 2020). Nagaitis is a British actor known for his starring roles as Cornelius Hickey in AMC's The Terror and as Vasily Ignatenko in HBO’s Chernobyl. His recent film credits include appearances in the Netflix action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake and the historical epic The Last Duel (both 2021).
How Does Daryl Get to France?
Set after The Walking Dead series finale, Daryl Dixon finds Reedus' fan favorite character transported across the Atlantic to France to experience a whole new level of a world gone mad. While it is currently unknown how Daryl ends up in Paris, Reedus has stated that his character didn't go there of his own free will. The Walking Dead executive producer Scott M. Gimple has also revealed that Daryl will feel like "a fish out of water" in the spinoff series and will be forced to "reinvent himself" in order to survive.
Daryl Dixon was initially announced in September 2020 with Melissa McBride attached to star alongside Reedus, reprising her role as Carol Peletier. However, McBride departed the series in April 2022 after being unable to relocate to Europe for filming. The project was then redeveloped to focus solely on Daryl. While Carol's Walking Dead fate is unknown at this time, McBride recently stated that she believes "Carol has more story to tell," hinting that her character may appear in one of The Walking Dead's upcoming spinoffs.
Daryl Dixon does not yet have a premiere date but is expected to debut on AMC in 2023.
Source: Deadline