The news of the "Fear The Walking Dead" production leaving Texas on Dec. 17 has rocked the Austin film/TV community. The popular spin-off of the smash hit zombie series "The Walking Dead" will reportedly relocate production for season 8 to Savannah, Georgia.
Insiders in Austin speculated that the FTWD production was leaving Texas due to the state government cutting funding for rebate programs like the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. TMPA executive director Paul Jensen told the Austin Chronicle that the state is losing big productions like FTWD because of such budget cuts.
But what if Texas state government budget cuts have nothing to do with FTWD leaving Texas? What if leaving the Lone Star State was always the plan?
The show's current storyline finds our band of survivors struggling through a radioactive Texas after a doomsday cult triggered a U.S. military nuke. It's quite possible that our heroes will be forced to travel east by the end of season 7 and leave Texas behind.
Since the flagship series "The Walking Dead" is ending after a final 11th season, the characters of FTWD could make their way east - and the series production could take over the sets, facilities and infrastructure of the Georgia based show.
It's easy to imagine a season 8 of FTWD becoming a crossover with characters from both the "The Walking Dead" and "The Walking Dead: World Beyond."
A move to Georgia would also fit into the show's format, which has found the characters moving south and eastward since the very beginning. Seasons 1 and 2 started in California, while season 3 relocated to Mexico. Season 4 moved the series to Texas - where it has stayed thus far through season 7.
This is all a theory so far, but it seems likely that the future of the franchise will center on FTWD as the new flagship series of the "Walking Dead" universe.
- DeepStarSix (Brent A. Snyder)
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