The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Executive producer Greg Nicotero explained the new zombie variants of season 2, offering insight into the upcoming threats Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) are about to face. Daryl Dixon Season 2 promises a more action-packed storyline, with Daryl continuing to fight against the Pouvoir As Carol takes a plane to France in hopes of tracking him down. The trailers also teased the return of zombie variants, including the faster variety in season 1, along with new bioluminescent walkers hiding in sewer tunnels.
Talk to Entertainment Weekly, Nicotero appeared in Bioluminescent and Fast Zombies, now called “amps,” in Daryl Dixon Season 2 has a majority of practical effects Bring them to life. The executive producer explained how LED lights were used for the glowing new zombies, which included only two minutes to film certain scenes with various other light fixtures. He also explained the use of black contact lenses for amps forward, using 90s horror techniques to differentiate them. Check out what Nicotero had to say below:
During the strike, I came back to the States last year, and we talked about the bioluminescent zombies. And 70 percent of that was practical effects. We had led lights, and we also had this black light wildfire system where we would paint the back of silicone prosthetics with a black light-activated bioluminescent paint. And if you watch the outtakes of that scene, you’ll literally see my team standing there with black lights right on the zombies’ faces. A lot of what VFX did was augment, by taking a lot of the bioluminescence and spreading it up the walls of the cave.
We did stuff where we were able to make the inside of the mouth glow. So a lot of it is just hiding stuff, not only in the wardrobe, but then under the skin, painting the silicone appliances from underneath, painting some stuff on top. And then you knew that once you would charge it right before the take, you would have probably 120 seconds of really strong interactive light before it started to fade. So it was a lot of running in, and charging it, and coming out, and then VFX just amped it up.
Now we have a better indication in season 2 of how the amps play a really important role in Genet’s [Anne Charrier] Search for power. We wanted to make sure they looked different, so we went with black contact lenses. The inspiration was some stuff we did The facultyAnd then Scanners Where you see the veins kind of traveling under the skin. And that was something that I really, really wanted to do, which was sort of redefine and play into one thing that we never play into on The Walking DeadWhat is the idea that the zombies are fast.
What the new zombie variants mean for Daryl Dixon Season 2
France is about to become much more dangerous
Daryl Dixon Season 1 ended by revealing the Pouvoir They have created zombie variants across France, seemingly as a way to gain control over the country by instilling fear in its population. This idea will likely continue to be explored in season 2, Especially now that bioluminescent zombies have been added to the mix. However, the fast zombies and those with acidic blood are still the main threats, especially as Daryl keeps trying to protect Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) and Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) from getting into the hands of the villainous group.
Since there is at least one new variant in season 2, the cast of Daryl Dixon Will need to maintain vigilance as they continue their fight against these Pouvoir. This will be most difficult for CarolWhose arrival in France will likely precede you know that fast or acid-blooded walkers even exist. Since the last trailer hinted at trouble that killed one of her traveling partners, she may end up encountering several variants before she is able to meet with Daryl and learn what is happening across the country.
Our take on the new Walker variants of Daryl Dixon Season 2
Zombies are made a bigger threat because of them
The use of more zombie variants in Daryl Dixon Season 2 helps keep zombies a core threat, making France one of the most dangerous countries in The Walking Dead Universe. With a new variant already confirmed, there are likely even more surprising zombie-related developments in store as Daryl’s journey continues and Carol’s begins. Since there are likely many secrets the show has yet to reveal, season 2 could deliver the most dangerous zombies yet.
Source: EW