I can’t say I understand at all why horror fans are reacting so unfavorably to the news this morning about the planned 2019 “Walking Dead” feature film. We don’t know whether it will be good or not. (It has hardly begun pre-production.) And it could turn out to be great — why not hope for the best? Are longtime fans so alienated by the show’s decline in quality over the past several years that they won’t give the announced movie a chance?

I want to believe that none of the backlash stems from 20th Century Fox placing a female director at the helm. April Faraday is relatively unknown to mainstream filmgoers, but she’s known on the indie scene for darker dramas like “Hoodwink” (2015) “A Display Floor” (2010) and “Chicane” (2011). No, she hasn’t done straight-up horror, or much in the way of action. But “The Walking Dead” has always been an atypical horror-drama that is frequently character- and dialogue-driven. I would rather see a respected indie director in charge than a guy like Joel Schumacher. (And I’m glad the studio passed over Baz Luhrmann — his style just isn’t right for “The Walking Dead.”)

There seems to be a lot of negative buzz too about the movie’s casting. I agree that it is troubling to discover that Andrew Lincoln is currently not listed in the cast. (Does this mean that Rick will die on the show? Would AMC allow such an obvious spoiler connected with the program, or is this just a case of intentional misdirection?)

I myself am thrilled that Peter Dinklage and Caroline Dhavernas will appear in the movie. I am guessing that Dinklage’s role will be a small one. (No pun intended, I swear.) I just know that his next regular television role will be his lead in “Apiary of Dolls,” which will be filming its first season in the United Kingdom throughout this year. And “The Walking Dead” movie will supposedly begin filming in June in Fairfax County, Virginia. Dinklage can’t spend a lot of time on two different continents. (Dhavernas’ next film, “Solo Friday Pal,” is a romantic comedy that is slated for a 2019 release. But I’m told that it has already completed filming.)

Let’s give this movie a chance, people.

[Update: as most of you have doubtlessly surmised, this is indeed an April Fool’s Day joke.  I hope that you all had a fun day and a truly joyous Easter.  🙂  ]