Now that ‘The Walking Dead’ season 5 has entered its brief hiatus until February 2015, production on the AMC’s horror-drama spinoff “companion” series has begun ramping up. We’ve heard the first two names to join the mysterious “Cobalt” series, and now ‘The Last Airbender’ star Cliff Curtis will take a bite off the male leading role.

Curtis, known variously for roles in FOX’s ‘Gang Related,’ M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Last Airbender,’ or even ‘Training Day,’ will take ‘The Walking Dead’ spinoff role of Sean Cabrera, a teacher who shares a son with his ex-wife, Andrea (no, not that Andrea). Sean’s character is described as a good man trying to do right by everyone in his life.

AMC has also continued testing for the female lead role of Nancy Tomkins, a guidance counselor who works at the school with Sean, a part The Hollywood Reporter claims ‘Fringe’ star Anna Torv had previously auditioned for. ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ star Frank Dillane has been tapped to play Nancy’s drug-addicted son, while AMC pilot ‘Galyntine’’s Alycia Debnam Carey will play her ambitious daughter.

Walking Dead’ executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert will all take part in the new series, tentatively titled “Cobalt,” while ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and ‘Low Winter Sun’ vet Dave Erickson will both co-write and executive produce, and Adam Davidson will direct the pilot. We know that the series won’t be set in Georgia, but could potentially cross over with the main ‘Walking Dead’ cast in time, as Kirkman previously offered up a few thoughts as to what might bring the series together.

What do you think? Does the casting of Cliff Curtis have you any more interested in a different cast and take on ‘The Walking Dead?’ What might you like to see when the companion series debuts in 2015? Preview the show’s 2015 return below, and give us your thoughts in the comments!