The Walking Dead to Показать airline zombie attack in stand-alone special 

That’s basically what AMC is planning in a highly unusual — if not totally unprecedented — new special that’s set during the time period of the hit drama’s companion series, 

Here’s the plan: EW has exclusively learned AMC is producing a half-hour special that will tell a stand-alone story following a group of passengers facing a walker attack on an airline while in flight. One character who survives that encounter will then join the cast of 

 online web series, but the network never used such content to introduce a new character before they joined the show. The airline attack story will debut online, and will unfold this in chapters that will air during 

’s on-air telecasts. In other words: You’re watching 

, AMC cuts to commercial break, then you get a chapter in the as-yet-untitled stand-alone airline attack drama. 

Beyond that, details are scarce. We assume the flight is headed to Los Angeles, since that’s the setting of 

 (L.A. residents, insert your LAX-is-already-run-by-zombies joke here). Our lingering questions: What’s the stand-alone content called? Who is the new character being introduced and who will play them? (Presumably AMC will be reluctant to release that because that would then reveal which passenger survives.) How many pieces of this interstitial will there be, and across how many 

A plane has been used as a setting for a zombie outbreak before, most memorably during a sequence in the otherwise lackluster 

’s team add new twists into that trapped-group premise. Producers of the special content include Dave Erickson and 

 recently premiered to a record 13.3 million viewers, including three days of DVR playback, making it the biggest series cable debut ever.   

From now until our huge fall TV preview hits newsstands Sept. 10, EW is bringing you 50 scoops in 50 days. Follow the hashtag #50Scoops50Days on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the latest, and check EW.com/50Scoops50Days for all the news and surprises.

star Lauren Cohan says season 6 is ‘suffocating’

: Steven Yeun says characters are ‘completely broken’ in season 6

WANT MORE EW? Subscribe now to keep up with the latest in movies, television and music.

The first trans director of \'Transparent\' on his experiences with the show

Miley Cyrus reveals what a rainbow tastes like during Tumblr Q&A

Watch Tom Bergeron discover his fancy roots on \'Who Do You Think You Are?\'

Steve Carell joins Woody Allen\'s next movie, replacing Bruce Willis

Darren Criss & Aaron Tveit duet \'Take Me or Leave Me\' from \'Rent\'

Behind Lady Gaga\'s killer look in \'American Horror Story: Hotel\'

\'American Horror Story: Hotel\' First Look: 11 EW exclusive photos

\'Survivor: Cambodia—Second Chance\' Cast Photos Revealed!

Where is the cast of \'Can\'t Hardly Wait\' now?

Céline Dion, Aaron Paul, Kate & Hayden and More!