The Walking Dead (AMC) [**Spoilers**]

JP Liz V1

Frank Darabont will write, direct and serve as an executive producer. Charles H. Eglee (The Shield and Dexter) is attached as a writer and executive producer.

Sarah Wayne Callies has just scored the female lead in AMC’s eagerly anticipated The Walking Dead series, based on Robert Kirkman’s megapopular comic books.
She will portray Lori Grimes, the slowly-unraveling wife of the show’s hero, Rick (Andrew Lincoln).

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MOD EDIT: The show premiered on Halloween night (31/10) in the US on AMC, and will premiere on FX in the UK on November 5th.

The show will be discussed in this thread at US pace without spoiler tags from post #200 onwards. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

pickarooney

AMC? Count me in!

Richard Dower

I'm passing on this...it's far too intelligent and "high brow" for my taste...gimme The Hills or Gossip Girl :-) (j/k....no i really am!)

opr

Cabler is close to finalizing one of the richest development deals ever with Darabont to write and direct a series adaptation of the Image Comics graphic novel series "The Walking Dead," penned by Robert Kirkman.

"This is not about zombies popping out of closets," Stillerman said. "This is a story about survival, and the dynamics of what happens when a group is forced to survive under these circumstances. The world (in 'Walking Dead') is portrayed in a smart, sophisticated way."

Stillerman noted that the cabler's annual "Fear Fest" movie showcase around Halloween is one of AMC's most popular programming events of the year. "We've got an audience that loves this kind of material," he said.

Continuing its perfect pilot-to-series track record, AMC has ordered at least six episodes of "The Walking Dead."

Actually, "The Walking Dead" is one step better than AMC's normal routine, because the cable network has sent the zombie franchise to series without even shooting a pilot.

Based on the Image Comics series by Robert Kirkman, "The Walking Dead" pilot was written by Frank Darabont, who will also direct and executive produce. Joining Darabont and Kirkman on the executive producing team are Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and the newly added Charles "Chic" Eglee ("Dexter").

"The Walking Dead" will begin production in June in Atlanta. The six-episode first season will premiere in October 2010 as part of AMC's annual Fearfest Halloween celebration.

"AMC strives to make original shows that play like movies and 'The Walking Dead' is a perfect complement to the network’s celebrated movie franchise, Fearfest, which has always been an important destination for our audience," says Charlie Collier, AMC President, in a statement. "With its depth of story and the remarkable talent attached, 'The Walking Dead' gives us an opportunity to raise the bar significantly within this popular genre, and continue our commitment to being the home of premium programming on basic cable."

Kirkman's comic premiered in 2003 and has become one of the medium's landmark titles with its harsh and unflinching depiction of a world overrun by zombies and the increased desperation of the few surviving humans. The series' main character is Rick Grimes, a former police officer. There are dozens of other human characters, but it's best not to get too attached to most of them. In "The Walking Dead," anybody can die at any time.

So far, casting on "The Walking Dead" is in its early phases with only Jon Bernthal ("The Pacific," "The Class") attached, playing Grimes' friend Shane.

"'The Walking Dead' is that rare piece of material that plays on many levels," says Joel Stillerman, Senior Vice President of Programming, Production and Digital Content. "Kirkman's series brilliantly captures the social commentary and ongoing human drama of the zombie apocalypse; and let's us kick a little zombie you-know-what from time to time."

To date, AMC has ordered four drama pilots. "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" are the network's Emmy-winning foundation. The political thriller "Rubicon" will premiere this summer.

It has gone into production and is due to air around October.

Wow I am so excited this could be amazing. Here is an interview with Darabont and some Zombies pictures!

http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/101966-first-look-at-amcs-the-walking-dead

Reading about this has made my morning.



Opr

RolandIRL

looks good. isn't darabont the guy that directed The Mist?

AMC should do it good. new show to look forward to.
thanks opr

opr

whiteman19 wrote: »

looks good. isn't darabont the guy that directed The Mist?

Yeah that's him also The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. The talent involved in the show is pretty sick.

Opr

Mr E

Please do a quick search on the forum before starting new threads.

Do really you think the fact that Frank Darabont was doing an adult zombie drama on AMC would have been missed by the news hounds in this forum?

opr

Cheers, I'll do my best next time to search walking instead waking

Opr

opr

Some more pictures.





http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45461

Opr

expectationlost

footage of show or gtfo

A TV show based around Zombies from an Oscar-nominated director - this could be epic.

Duggy747

brokenlaptop wrote: »

A TV show based around Zombies from an Oscar-nominated director - this could be epic.

Or it could be utter shìte.................heh, who am I kidding, at worst it should be middling!

I'm so in to catch this from episode 1!

Richard Dower

The costume and makeup alone must cost a fortune!....guess that accounts for a five ep. order. This could be great or suck, best way to judge is watch the pilot and take it from there.

But it has a very solid team behind it.

Casting news: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a229015/two-more-cast-in-walking-dead.html

madrab

Cool, really like the comic its insanely graphic

Richard Dower

More casting news: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a230861/emma-bell-cast-in-walking-dead.html

adox

AMC can do no wrong at the moment. Let's hope this keeps the standards up.
Certainly looks promising.

Richard Dower

Yet more casting news: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a232093/robert-singleton-joins-walking-dead.html

Duggy747

2 excellent in-depth articles from one of Aint It Cool's guys on set of the pilot shoot.

Obviously a tiny bit spoilerish but it's interesting to see how serious they're filming this. It'll be filmed very professionaly, as in not like the shaky-cam style.

Part One:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45528
Part Two:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45540

Richard Dower

Interesting news, not sure what this means for the show: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a234773/darabont-only-directing-dead-pilot.html

chalkitdown1

That's nothing unusual. I'm sure they have some great directors lined up.

Richard Dower

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a235999/walking-dead-creator-praises-casting.html

.SONIC.

this should be amazing!!

combining my two favourite things, zombiies and television!! :)

Richard Dower

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a239859/walking-dead-comic-like-a-storyboard.html

Basq

Yeah, this show is gonna be amazing!

J-blk

I hadn't read the comic book until I heard about the series but decided to look at them over the summer... about 12 issues in now and if the show is half as good as the comic book, this show is going to be awesome. I'm already hoping for a renewal as there's a lot of story to tell (73 issues so far and the comic book is still going...).

Richard Dower

Basq

I didn't realise Andrew Lincoln was in it until this morning..

.. absolutely cracking actor!

Brillant in 'Teachers' and 'This Life'.

RolandIRL

is that the doctor out of Prison Break to the left of the kid? it looks like her anyway.

plenty of nice looking women in it. always nice to have a bit of eye candy

EDIT: yes it is Sara Tencredi (Sarah Wayne Callies IRL). thought she was a good enough actress in Prison Break.

J-blk

I saw that cast photo on a few blogs too - they seem to have done a good job as far as the look of the characters goes, most of them look very much like their comic book counterparts.

J-blk

Details of who is writing and directing each of the six episodes of the first season:

The writers...
1) Frank Darabont
2) Frank Darabont
3) Frank Darabont, Chic Eglee (The Shield, Dexter), Jack LoGuidice (Sons of Anarchy)
4) Robert Kirkman (the creator of the original comics)
5) Glen Mazzara (The Shield, Hawthorne)
6) Adam Fierro (The Shield, Dexter, 24)

The directors...
1) Frank Darabont
2) Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad, The X-Files)
3) Gwyneth Horder-Payton (The Shield, Battlestar Galacticas)
4) Johan Renck (Breaking Bad)
5) Ernest Dickerson (The Wire, Dexter)
6) Guy Ferland (The Shield, Sons of Anarchy)

http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/node/45801

Ohh.. this is going to be superb.

Richard Dower

OK, this officially sounds f*cking EPIC!

http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/amc-walking-dead-panel-comic-con.html

Trailer out soon apparently.

Duggy747

I just saw the trailer for this, hole-lee crap it looks good!! The production on it is really high, it seems more like a film than a television series. The zombies looks ace, too.

You can find the trailer on YouTube but since it was of a Cam quality (still watchable) I didn't bother posting it here, save yourselves for the real trailer which should be out soon.

Plus, the trailer they should at ComicCon was of a cut down version since the event is a "family friendly" one. The trailer is still fairly violent, though.

And the closing shot is savage. Really can't wait for this now!

Richard Dower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBiI6YRfWIY

= meh, after seeing that....28 Days Later, which i hated.

opr

Already got renewed and they haven't even aired an episode!

While at Comic Con, producer and series overlord Frank Darabont has announced a second series has been green-lit so impressed are AMC with what’s been delivered already.

Opr

Richard Dower

^ sounds like AMC just tryna out do Starz. I'll reserve qualified opinion until i see the pilot with an episode or two, it's hard to say based on a cam trailer....but i really hated 28 days Later, cheapo zombie crap.

Duggy747

Richard Dower wrote: »

^ sounds like AMC just tryna out do Starz. I'll reserve qualified opinion until i see the pilot with an episode or two, it's hard to say based on a cam trailer....but i really hated 28 days Later, cheapo zombie crap.

There's little or no shaky cam on this series, it's filmed in a more cinematic style (coming from on-set reports and from Frank, himself)

Being that it's a TV show I'd say it costs a lot to make this happen, especially the 1st season to clarify the wider scope of zombie apocalypse (cities, streets and all that) The only comparison to 28 Days Later is when main guy wakes up in hospital, it ends there.

I love that bit with the tank at the end.

Richard Dower

^ well i hope so, the whole "tralier park boys" look puts me off, dunno...i was hoping for more zombies and battles, tanks and armies.

RolandIRL

even from the crappy cam job, it still looks class can't wait for the actual trailer to come out and see it proper

Basq

Not gonna watch that trailer as it looks like woeful quality!

They'll release an official one in the next week I'd say.

EDIT: How could anyone hate '28 Days Later'? Once again Richard, you baffle me!

J-blk

Richard Dower wrote:

i was hoping for more zombies and battles, tanks and armies.

You'll be really disappointed if that's what you expect, the comic book is nothing like that, though there's plenty of action/suspense in it. The trailer looks very faithful to the first few issues, though there are some notable differences which is good, as it would take away from the show to know everything that is coming...

Great news about the early renewal too.

MayoForSam

It gets better.... Bear McCreary of BSG fame is doing the score, can't wait to see the outcome.

Ihackedboardz

is that the guy from teachers, Andrew Lincoln?

J-blk

Ihackedboardz wrote: »

is that the guy from teachers, Andrew Lincoln?

Yep, it is.

RolandIRL

is there any word on when it's going to air?

Basq

whiteman19 wrote: »

is there any word on when it's going to air?

October.

missingtime

Caught a bit of the trailer but switched it off cos i hates spoilers. Even tiny ones. But I am really looking forward to this.

Are AMC kinda like Showtime and HBO in that they wont pussy out on gore & nudity & violence?

J-blk

missingtime wrote: »

Are AMC kinda like Showtime and HBO in that they wont pussy out on gore & nudity & violence?

Nope, I think AMC is basic cable so they're more like FX rather than premium cable channels like Showtime and HBO. They won't broadcast the same level of violence, nudity or swearing as HBO/Showtime but they are a bit more free than the basic free-to-air networks like FOX, ABC, etc. So there probably will be more violence and swearing on the show than on the major networks. The trailer shown at Comic-Con was apparently "watered down" for the convention.

Basq

I started reading the comic series the other night... excellent stuff!

They're a brief read at 32 pages per issue, and there's been 75 issues so far AFAIK.

RolandIRL

i'm reading the comics myself as well, basquille.....really entertaining would recommend them to anyone.

J-blk

basquille wrote: »

I started reading the comic series the other night... excellent stuff!

They're a brief read at 32 pages per issue, and there's been 75 issues so far AFAIK.

Definitely recommend them too. The problem with starting to read them now (I only did a few weeks back too) is that you go through all 75 issues really fast and then crave more . Kirkman tends to end the majority of issues on pretty big cliffhangers too...