Big gig! After appearing alongside Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris in Gone Girl, actress Kim Dickens has found her next major role.
The Treme alum, 49, who played Detective Rhonda Boney in Gone Girl, has been cast in an upcoming spin-off of The Walking Dead, according to Variety.
Dickens will play the female lead in the yet-to-be-titled series with the previously announced male lead Cliff Curtis (The Last Airbender). Other actors booked for the show include Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and Alycia Debnam-Carey (The 100).
Often referred to as Cobalt, the show is set at the beginning of the same zombie apocalypse as the wildly popular original program. While The Walking Dead takes place in Georgia, the upcoming companion series is expected to find itself in California.
"Almost from the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world," AMC President Charlie Collier said in a statement this past September. "In fact, beyond requests for zombie cameos, it’s the question I get asked the most. Obviously, we all take our stewardship of the original franchise incredibly seriously and we, along with Robert, Gale, David and now Dave, are all proceeding with extreme care in order to ensure that we are offering fans something truly compelling, engaging and distinct. We’re thrilled to be taking this next step with these remarkable partners."
Dickens, whose TV credits include turns on Sons of Anarchy, Friday Night Lights, and Lost, will play a guidance counselor with two kids on the new show, Deadline reports. Her character is tentatively named Nancy Tompkins, and is seeing Dillane's teacher character.
There has been no comment from AMC or Dickens on the casting.
