Daryl Dixon’ is going to Spain for season 3

Daryl Dixon — both the character and the show — will be saying au revoir to France and hola to Spain when The Walking Dead series moves countries for season 3. It was announced today during the show’s panel at Comic-Con in San Diego that the spinoff had been renewed for a third season. Not only that, but the series will also be crossing France’s southern border and setting up shop in Spain. The show will both film and be set there in season 3.

That is in contrast to another Walking Dead spinoff that had a panel at Comic-Con — Dead City starring Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan — which moved its filming from New Jersey to Boston for season 2, even though the show is still set in New York City.

Filming on season 3 of Daryl Dixon will begin next month and be based in Madrid, with “extensive location shooting planned in the Galicia, Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia regions.” While season 3 will be making a big change, there is still a season 2 — which premieres Sept. 29 on AMC and AMC+ — that needs to air before then.  And a big season it is, as titular star Norman Reedus will be reunited with his partner-in-zombie-killing-crime Melissa McBride, in what is being billed in subtitle form as “The Book of Carol.”

Reedus has not pulled his punches when talking about the season, previously telling Entertainment Weekly that “I think the finale of season 2 is the best one hour of Walking Dead anything, ever. And I’ve been here since day three, so for real, it’s my favorite one hour of Walking Dead anything.”

Both Reedus and McBride were on the panel in San Diego, along with star Louis Puech Scigliuzzi (Laurent), showrunner David Zabel, and executive producer and director Greg Nicotero. (Walking Dead chief content officer Scott M. Gimple had to bow out after contracting Covid, proving the zombie virus is not the only thing to worry about contracting out there.)

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The cast and producers also showed an action-packed trailer for the new season. “Daryl Dixon, I heard you were dead,” someone says at the start of the teaser, to which Daryl replies, “Not yet.” This is followed by shots of Daryl smashing lots of people in the face, Carol attempting to fly overseas, the Louvre not looking so hot, and… glow in the dark zombies! Plus, the final shot shows both Daryl and Carol in the same frame together, teasing that the dynamic duo will definitely, at some point, be reunited during the season.

As for the big move for season 3, Reedus said in a statement released by AMC that, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to announce a third season and to be working side by side with the brilliant Melissa McBride. Season 2 is some of my favorite storytelling of this series. Watching Melissa shine along with our brilliant cast and crew has been one of my fondest memories playing this character. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it and we can’t wait to keep the story going.”

Also in the statement, McBride said: “I’m really appreciating the new challenges for Daryl and Carol being so far from all they’ve ever known… what it means for them, what it brings for each of them, apart and together. There’s still so much ahead to unpack in France for the coming season 2, and a breathtaking finale. And now Spain! I already know that David Zabel’s storytelling is making the most of all that is so beautiful and unique to Spain. We start shooting there in just a few weeks… such excitement looking forward!”

Season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premieres Sept. 29 on AMC and AMC+.