The Walking Dead universe will be expanding despite the fact that the main show is ending relatively soon. AMC recently announced a pair of spin-offs, one of which is titled Tales of the Walking Dead, a new anthology series that will take place in the zombie-filled universe. And it will allow for lots of different stories, which may include animated installments and even musicals.

AMC recently aired The Walking Dead Universe Preview Special, which teased what's to come for the franchise. Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick at one point read a statement from Scott M. Gimple, who is the chief architect of the franchise. As Gimple's statement reveals, they have some radical things planned. Here's what Gimple had to say about it.

"We've been playing with the Tales of format for nearly three years now, and tweaking it in all sorts of directions. It's been an incredibly fun challenge. Yes, there's going to be stories told with old favorites, there are also going to be stories told with brand new characters. These stories are from all over the Walking Dead timeline, and all over the Walking Dead Universe. We may be doing different formats and possibly utilizing animation, music, different mediums. We want to surprise people every week with what they will be getting."

While The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead have explored various parts of the universe in the aftermath of the apocalypse, there is much viewers have yet to experience. Without being anchored to the same cast or main story, the opportunities are seemingly endless. But beyond that, the producers seem intent on playing with different genres as well. Just imagine what Walking Dead: The Musical might look like. That does not appear to be off the table.

Meanwhile, The Walking Dead season 11 will conclude the main show. First, we have an expanded season 10 coming our way next year, with the series set to wrap up in 2022. Then a spin-off focused on Daryl and Carol will be hitting AMC in 2023. Before that, the latest live-action spin-off, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, will be hitting the airwaves early next month. That show has a limited shelf life though as it is being billed as a two-season event series. Plus, Andrew Lincoln is still on board to return as Rick Grimes in a trilogy of Walking Dead movies.

All of this to say, AMC believes there is a lot of gas left in the tank. All of the shows are based on Robert Kirkman's Image Comics series of the same name, which concluded its run last summer. Tales from the Walking Dead does not yet have a release date set, nor have any cast members been confirmed at this time. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available. The original Walking Dead season 10 finale is set to air October 4, followed by the premiere of World Beyond. The Walking Dead Universe Preview Special is available now on AMC.com.