By Lesley Goldberg

It’s official: AMC is moving forward with its Walking Dead companion series in a major way.

The top-secret drama, which went through the pilot process with the title of Cobalt, will join the flagship series on the network as the cabler continues to focus on scripted fare. In addition to ordering the pilot to series, AMC has preemptively renewed the drama for a second season. The first season will consist of six hourlong episodes — just like the flagship series did. The drama will premiere on AMC in the “late summer,” with season two set for 2016.

Robert Kirkman, who created The Walking Dead comic series, co-wrote the pilot with Dave Erickson (Sons of Anarchy). KIrkman and Erickson exec produce alongside Walking Dead’s Gale Anne Hurd and Dave Alpert. Erickson serves as showrunner, while Adam Davidson directed the pilot. Walking Dead VFX guru Greg Nicotero will also exec produce the series.

While AMC has been tight-lipped on its premise, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the series is a prequel that takes place in Los Angeles at the onset of the zombie outbreak. AMC on Monday confirmed that the companion series is set in Los Angeles but revealed nothing more beyond that it will focus on new characters and storylines. The drama is still untitled.

Read more AMC’s ‘Walking Dead’ Prequel: All the Details (So Far)

Cliff Curtis (Gang Related) stars as Sean Cabrera, a teacher who shares a son with his ex-wife. Sons of Anarchy’s Kim Dickens is set to co-star as Nancy, a guidance counselor who works at the school with Sean and is seeing him romantically. Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) co-stars as Nancy’s son Nick, who has battled a drug problem; and Alycia Debnam Carey (Into the Woods) is set as Nancy’s ambitious daughter Ashley, who is the polar opposite of Nick and has dreams of leaving L.A. for Berkeley when the apocalypse strikes.

See more 'Walking Dead' Comes to Life: From Comics to the Small Screen

The Walking Dead companion — first announced in September 2013 — could give AMC a zombie drama in every quarter should the cabler opt to air the new series in split seasons like the flagship. The off-shoot series comes as The Walking Dead evolved to mega-hit status. The zombie drama, overseen by showrunner Scott M. Gimple, ranks as TV’s No. 1 drama series among the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic.

“We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the No. 1 show on television. From the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, we’ve been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did &lsquoturn.’ Through this new series, we’re going to find out,” AMC president Charlie Collier said in making the announcement Monday. “Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson and their writing team, along with an incomparable set of producers, cast and crew have created something remarkable and clearly distinct. We respectfully follow the request of Monty Python as we bring out (the latest of) our Dead.”