Tonight, fans of the long-running AMC series, The Walking Dead, witnesses Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes take a final bow as he made his final on-screen appearance in the mega-popular show. But now, with Grimes gone, TWD will have to plot a course for an unknown future, one without its series lead. Fans of the show will be delighted to hear however that Rick Grimes will be back… just not in the way you think!

With Grimes gone, the true expansion of The Walking Dead universe has begun. Starting with Fear the Walking Dead, producer Scott Gimple has now begun crafting various avenues in which to take the franchise and at the centre of the expansion is, you guessed it, Rick Grimes.

Gimple confirmed to THR tonight that Andrew Lincoln will reprise his iconic role as Rick Grimes in a series of three big-budget, feature-length TV movies for AMC. Gimple is currently in the process of writing the first of the untitled series of made-for-TV films, with production set to begin in 2019. Still to be determined is an air date and where the movies will film as Lincoln departed The Walking Dead in order to spend more time with his family in England.

“The story of Rick will go on in films,” Gimple says. “Right now, we’re working on three but there’s flexibility in that. … Over the next several years, we’re going to be doing specials, new series are quite a possibility, high-quality digital content and then some content that defies description at the moment. We’re going to dig into the past and see old characters. We’re going to introduce new characters and new situations.”

Our sources have said that the story is rumored to detail the (*SPOILERS*) of Rick’s disappearance from Alexandria and where he went aboard the helicopter with Jadis. While details remain under wraps, the early word is that the films have the potential to have a sci-fi element and it could explore aspects of the apocalypse which Robert Kirkman’s never have.

The movies are the first part of the Gimple-led expansion of the Walking Dead universe. The movies will be AMC Studios Original Films and air likely on AMC and, in success, a second party as the cabler looks for a partner to share the costs.

“Rick Grimes is an amazing character and Andy has done an amazing performance. There were story ideas brewing that, as the years went on, seemed very compatible with continuing to tell the Rick story in another format that would allow him time with his family,” Gimple says.

Catch The Walking Dead every Sunday at 9pm on AMC.