What do Valentine’s Day and the ubiquitous zombies of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” have in common (other than a potential focus on the human heart)? More than you might think.
The creatures and the protagonists who try to stop them get an unlikely shout out Wednesday when AMC launches a new promo to tout “The Walking Dead: The ones Who Live,” the third in a series of character-driven spin-offs that have launched since the end of the original series in 2022. “Ones” stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, one of the main series’ chief characters and Danai Guria as Michonne.
One of the chief elements of “Ones” is a love story between the two main characters, making February 14 a more likely day than one might have thought to call attention to the series.
A new trailer that debuts on YouTube is set to Phoebe Bridgers’ cover of metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.” Fans can order special merchandise centered on Rick and Michonne in AMC’s Walking Dead online shop. Fans of the show can send special Valentine’s Day cards to one another that can be accessed through the program’s social media platforms. And AMC will run ads for the show with a Valentine Day’s them across various dating apps, while a special promo for the series will depict roses burning in flame on Sphere in Las Vegas.
“Valentine’s Day is just about the last holiday you would associate with ‘The Walking Dead,’ but the truth is that love has been at the heart of this franchise from the very beginning. We were excited by the juxtaposition of the most romantic day of the year and the zombie apocalypse as a way to celebrate Rick and Michonne’s long-awaited reunion and love for each other with the fans,” says Kim Granito, chief marketing officer, AMC Networks. “We’re dropping a surprise trailer set to the voice of Phoebe Bridgers, social Valentine’s Day cards, exclusive merch in our TWD Shop, and to cap it all off we’re setting Sphere in Las Vegas on fire.”
AMC executives feel the “Walking Dead” spin offs are delivering viewers, particularly on AMC+, where the first two serries, “The Walking Dead: Dead City” and “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” are some of the most-watched series on the streaming venue. “Dead City” centers on the characters Negan and Maggie in a post-apocalyptic New York City, while “Daryl” centers on the title character and his colleague Carol in France.
“The Walking Dead: The ones Who Live” premieres February 25 on AMC and AMC+.
