"The Walking Dead" spin off cast confirmed its female lead in "Gone Girl" actor Kim Dickens. The spinoff at least has a few details verified, including the plot and the setting, also several of the actors and roles.

Kim Dickens was among hundreds considered for the role of Nancy Tompkins, a single mom with two kids, described as "the girl next door with an edge." She'll be starring alongside Cliff Curtis as Sean Cabrera.

"The Walking Dead" spin off is set in Los Angeles, but starts just before the viral outbreak that caused the zombie apocalypse. The series will explore the survivors' efforts to contain and endure the outbreak, at least on the first season.

With previous roles in "Sons of Anarchy," "Treme," "Lost," and "Deadwood," Dickens is groomed to play the part of the single mom staking it out with two grown children. Her character's kids are also old enough to hold their own, much like the teenage Carl in "The Walking Dead."

Dickens is recently recognizable in "Gone Girl," as a no-nonsense detective with a dry sense of humor to boot.

Some of the "The Walking Dead" spin off cast is confirmed, but the series is set in a practically different world with Rick and his crew, who are currently bound around Atlanta and at a loss where to go next. Eugene turned out to be a disappointment, feigning knowledge of the virus and leading the crew on a wild goose chase to Washington.

Show-runners have yet to comment on a possible run-in between Rick's crew and "The Waling Dead" spin off's cast. It's unlikely, though, with the shows set on different timelines. It's still possible to lay out an origins story arc for some of the characters. The show could reintroduce The Governor before he founded Woodburry, one of many possibilities for a tie-up.

"The Walking Dead" spin off comes with the working title "Cobalt," and is yet to kick off production. "The Walking Dead" with Rick resumes season five on February 8 (cinemablend.com).