Paramount+ with Showtime has an upcoming thriller starring Andrew Lincoln that could become the actor's replacement for The Walking Dead. Andrew Lincoln has been a huge part of The Walking Dead universe since its inception. He spent over a decade portraying Rick Grimes, and the show is easily his most recognizable and popular work to date. Now, just a year after he returned for The Ones Who Live, Lincoln is moving on from Rick.
Lincoln recently led the cast of Coldwater, a psychological thriller that was originally released in the United Kingdom in 2025, but is coming to Paramount+ with Showtime in early 2026. Coldwater marks Lincoln's first time leading a TV show since he began starring in The Walking Dead, and his new series could end up being a replacement for Rick Grimes. Here's what you need to know about Coldwater.
What Is Coldwater About?
Andrew Lincoln starred in Coldwater, a psychological thriller from ITV that will come to the United States via Paramount+ with Showtime. Coldwater follows John, a man who moves his entire family to a Scottish village after freezing up during a violent incident at a playground in London. After arriving in Coldwater, John and his wife Fiona make friends with Tommy and Rebecca, their neighbors who hide dark secrets.
As the trailer for Coldwater depicts, as John and Fiona learn more about their neighbors, everyone's secrets slowly rise to the surface. Coldwater deals with some heavy themes, chiefly violence against women, and each new reveal is as horrifying as the last. Though it has just 67% on Rotten Tomatoes from nine critics, Coldwater has been described as a gripping thriller that may not always make sense but can almost always make audiences squirm in suspense.
Andrew Lincoln Leading A New Series Is Exciting
One of the most exciting parts of Coldwater, other than its promises of psychological twists and scares, is the fact that Andrew Lincoln is leading another television series. Since he began playing Rick Grimes in in 2010, Lincoln has only had guest appearances on other television shows, and as Grimes again in The Ones Who Live. Coldwater marks the first time Lincoln has had a leading TV role outside of The Walking Dead in over a decade.
|
Andrew Lincoln's TV Roles Since 2010 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Title |
Years |
# of Episodes |
|
Strike Back |
2010 |
6 |
|
The Walking Dead |
2010 – 2022 |
120 |
|
Dispatches |
2011 |
1 |
|
Fear the Walking Dead |
2018 |
1 |
|
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities |
2022 |
1 |
|
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live |
2024 |
6 |
|
Coldwater |
2025 |
6 |
While it was electrifying to have Lincoln return to The Walking Dead in The Ones Who Live, it's arguably more exciting to see him branch out in Coldwater. Not only does Lincoln get to flex his acting muscles with a new character, he also gets to dive into a new character. Hopefully, he can be just as compelling as John in Coldwater as he was as Rick in The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead Might Not Be Done With Rick Grimes
While it is exciting that Andrew Lincoln is moving on to new characters and shows, there's still a chance that he could return to the role of Rick Grimes. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live was always intended as a miniseries, but there's still a way for the franchise to bring Rick back again. Insider reports have hinted at a potential crossover spinoff show that would reunite the casts of The Ones Who Live, Daryl Dixon, and Dead City (via Undead Walking).
If those rumors of a crossover show prove true, Lincoln will be able to play Rick Grimes one last time, and with several of the original cast members of The Walking Dead. That is a big if, but Lincoln's portrayal of Rick is still one of the most enduring parts of The Walking Dead after over a decade. Fans love him, and AMC may decide to bring Andrew Lincoln back to The Walking Dead one last time.
