Monte-Carlo will open this year’s television festival with zombies, star power, and one of TV’s most durable franchises.

The 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival, set for June 12 to 16, will kick off with the international premiere of the first two episodes of Season 3 of The Walking Dead: Dead City. Organizers also plan to bring key figures from the series to the event, including actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan, alongside showrunner Seth Hoffman. That combination gives the festival a splashy opener and gives AMC’s long-running universe another global showcase.

Monte-Carlo isn’t easing into its 65th edition — it’s betting on a franchise that still knows how to command attention.

Key Facts

  • The 65th Monte-Carlo Television Festival runs from June 12 to 16.
  • The festival will open with the international premiere of the first two episodes of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3.
  • Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, and showrunner Seth Hoffman are expected to attend.
  • The announcement positions the series as a marquee attraction for the event’s opening night.

The move says as much about the festival as it does about the show. Monte-Carlo has long used opening-night selections to signal relevance, reach, and ambition. By choosing Dead City, the festival ties itself to a title with instant recognition and a fan base that stretches far beyond the Riviera. It also underscores how franchise television continues to dominate the attention economy, especially when festivals need headline moments that travel fast online.

For The Walking Dead brand, the premiere offers another reminder that the franchise still carries weight even as the TV landscape grows more fragmented. Reports indicate Season 3 will arrive with expectations to keep expanding the post-apocalyptic world while maintaining the chemistry and conflict that drive this spinoff. Putting the first two episodes in front of an international festival crowd gives the series an early platform to shape buzz before broader audiences weigh in.

What happens next matters for both sides. Monte-Carlo will look to convert this opener into momentum across the rest of its June lineup, while AMC and the creative team will watch closely for signs of critical and fan reaction. In a crowded entertainment market, big premieres no longer just launch shows — they test whether a franchise can still feel urgent, global, and worth talking about.