The Walking Dead - Season 5 and onwards

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It hasn't been delayed. Not to my knowledge. AMC wouldn't pay for their publicists to do all that promotion for season 8 if it was delayed.

 

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Season 7 had a later start than its predecessors, kicking off on October 23 to allow for a "Journey So Far" special to air the week ahead, and preserving the momentum of Negan's victims being revealed for seven more days. Season 8, however, might be pushed back to a date more familiar to the first season.

With Fear the Walking Dead set to air its two-hour midseason premiere on Sunday, September 10, the sibling series to The Walking Dead will have six episodes remaining in its third season. Those episodes will air on the following Sunday's, leading to a finale on October 22, assuming no more episodes are aired back to back. A Fear the Walking Dead Season 3 finale would put The Walking Dead's Season 8 premiere on October 29, assuming there is no "Journey So Far" recap type event taking place between the two series.

The Walking Dead Season 8 Might Premiere Later Than Usual

 

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ComicBook.com has learned that stuntman John Bernecker has passed away, following a tragic and unexpected accident on the set of The Walking Dead's eighth season.

John Bernecker, a veteran stuntman in the industry, was taken to Atlanta Medical Center on Wednesday after he fell more than 20 feet onto a concrete floor. The incident happened on The Walking Dead’s set down in Georgia, and Bernecker was rushed to the hospital where he was being treated in the intensive care unit.

'The Walking Dead' Stuntman Dies After Tragic Accident on Season 8 Set

 

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In seven years, The Walking Dead has become the most prosperous drama ever to air on cable television. The AMC zombie drama has likely booked more than $1 billion in gross receipts based on an analysis of newly filed court documents that shed unprecedented light on the economics of the show and on Hollywood in general. But after Walking Dead premiered in October 2010 to 5 million viewers (it now draws 17 million, more even than primetime NFL games on broadcast networks), AMC decided to cut the show's second-season budget by 25 percent.

The summer of 2011 was a trying time for Frank Darabont, the Oscar-nominated writer and director of The Shawshank Redemption who adapted Robert Kirkman's postapocalyptic graphic novel. Darabont worked hard to get the show on the air — NBC once had it in turnaround, and other networks like Fox and Turner passed — but once Walking Dead came out, the series about middle America citizens struggling to survive a zombie apocalypse earned instant adoration. So Darabont was stunned by AMC's decision to slash the budget. What's more, after Darabont decided that a single set location — a Georgia farmhouse — would be the solution to the financial crunch, AMC executives demanded to see all of the season's scripts up front before shooting. According to Darabont, AMC's Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan told him "it's unheard of" to have scripts delivered so early in the process of producing a season.

'Walking Dead' Lawsuit Spills Obscene Emails and Tales of Greed Over TV's Billion-Dollar Hit

They allege that when it came time to negotiate how AMC's studio arm would license Walking Dead to the AMC network, they obtained a specific protection aimed at ensuring a fair share of profits. Despite allegedly getting what they wanted, however, participation statements would until recently show Walking Dead in the red. For example, a March 2014 statement to Darabont represented that the drama had earned more than $159 million in total gross receipts from inception to September 2013. But then came $13 million in distribution fees, another $11 million in distribution charges, and $160 million in production costs which included 12.5 percent for administrative overhead. That meant Walking Dead was allegedly in deficit to the tune of nearly $24 million, leaving profit participants empty.

The attorneys for Darabont and CAA say something is amiss.

"AMC has massively increased its own profits — and grossly reduced, if not eliminated, Plaintiffs' profit participation — on the highest rated television series in cable history," states a summary judgment memorandum filed in the case. "They have accomplished this by completely ignoring the contract's protection against inter-company self-dealing."

As evidenced by the inflammatory emails sent to his colleagues, Darabont may indeed have been a jerk. The question his lawyers are essentially putting forward: Has he been jerked around by Hollywood?

Some of the information is salacious and will likely not factor into the case. For example, buried in the submissions is a "standards & practices" guide for producers of AMC shows that lays out such oddities as an allowance on the words "Jesus" and "Christ" but not "Jesus Christ" together. Shows are forbidden from using the words "goddamn" and "faggot," but are allowed to use "sh*t," "asshole," "pendejo" (the Spanish word for asshole), and "pussy," so long as the program doesn't use more than four instances of such words in a given episode and the use is not sexual in nature.

According to the court papers, the license fees for Mad Men started out at $1.85 million per episode, Breaking Bad at $1.75 million, and Better Call Saul (a Breaking Bad spinoff) at $2.5 million, with negotiated bumps for subsequent seasons. By the end of its run, Mad Men, for example, would contribute about $4 million per episode to Lionsgate's coffers.

There are various ways to analyze whether the $1.45 million per episode license fee recorded by AMC during the first four seasons of Walking Dead was "comparable." Thanks to a recent development (more on that in a moment), AMC is now imputing a license fee of $1.87 million to $2.4 million an episode.

Richard Marks, one of the plaintiffs' experts, measures how much of the production costs were covered by the license fee, finding that 65 percent for the zombie show was inferior to the around 80 percent for the other three AMC shows. Both he and James Dertouzos, another plaintiffs' expert, also look at other factors like Walking Dead's superior ratings to estimate what the show would have sold for if it had been on the open market. Dertouzos concludes that the show would be licensed for $23.2 million to $28.7 million per episode. On the other hand, AMC appears primed to emphasize the fact that almost every major network got a chance to air Walking Dead when it was initially shopped around almost a decade ago.

 

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So is the $160 million in production costs in doubt? Seems that is the major reason for having no profit at that time.

 

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So is the $160 million in production costs in doubt? Seems that is the major reason for having no profit at that time.

I don't know, but I do know that the show has made the original creators very rich (personal wealth measured in tens of millions according to the rich list). A lot of that money has to disappear in the top grade CGI and creature/special effects. Still, if you compare the budget to a film budget than TWD does very well with the money given to them. You get so much more value out from the series than a movie.

 

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[Judderman]

I didn't watch the whole thing as it will spoil some of the surprises. But good to see lots of action. I hope it wont take many episodes to get into it. Should be good.

 

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AMC has survived stiff Sunday night competition against The Walking Dead to keep its flagship series' title as top-viewers on cable but it will now have to endure an intimidating lawsuit.

On Monday, in what might turn out to be one of the biggest profits cases in television history, The Walking Dead's co-creator Robert Kirkman and series producers Gale Anne Hurd, Glen Mazzara, and David Alpert have filed suit against AMC. The group claims to have been cheated by the network regarding profits and their fair share -- a number which could total a billion dollars according to former showrunner Frank Darabont's attorneys.

"This case arises from a major entertainment conglomerate’s failure to honor its contractual obligations to the creative people – the 'talent,' in industry jargon – behind the wildly successful, and hugely profitable, long-running television series The Walking Dead," opens the complaint filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. "The defendant AMC Entities exploited their vertically-integrated corporate structure to combine both the production and the exhibition of TWD, which allowed AMC to keep the lion’s share of the series’ enormous profits for itself and not share it with the Plaintiffs, as required by their contracts."

The Walking Dead Producers Suing AMC For Up To $1 Billion

These kinds of lawsuits are fairly common in entertainment and they all have one thing in common – they follow success… Virtually every studio that has had a successful show has been the target of litigation like this, and The Walking Dead has been the #1 show on television for five years in a row, so this is no surprise. We have enormous respect and appreciation for these plaintiffs, and we will continue to work with them as partners, even as we vigorously defend against this baseless and predictably opportunistic lawsuit.

AMC Slams The Walking Dead Producers' Lawsuit

 

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Season 8 synopsis

“Last season, Rick Grimes and his group of survivors were confronted with their deadliest challenge yet. With the comfort of Alexandria, they let their guard down, only to be reminded how brutal the world they live in can be.

Feeling powerless under Negan’s rules and demands, Rick advocated the group play along. But seeing that Negan couldn’t be reasoned with, Rick began rallying together other communities affected by the Saviors. And with the support of the Hilltop and Kingdom, they finally have enough fire power to contest the Saviors.

This season, Rick brings “All Out War” to Negan and his forces. The Saviors are larger, better-equipped, and ruthless — but Rick and the unified communities are fighting for the promise of a brighter future. The battle lines are drawn as they launch into a kinetic, action-packed offensive.

Up until now, survival has been the focus of Rick and our group, but it’s not enough. They have to fight to take back their freedom so that they can live. So that they can rebuild. As with any battle, there will be losses. Casualties. But with Rick leading the Alexandrian forces, Maggie leading the Hilltop, and King Ezekiel leading the Kingdom — Negan and the Saviors’ grip on this world may finally be coming to an end.”

The Walking Dead season 8: official synopsis released

 

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AMC will present a "Season 8 Preview Special" this Sunday, Sept. 10.
The Walking Dead new season, which will start Sunday, Oct. 22, will be discussed by cast members Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lennie James and executive producer Scott M. Gimple. Chris Hardwick, Talking Dead host, will lead the discussion.
The special will precede the season three resumption of Fear the Walking Dead.

 

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Episode 1 - 'Mercy'

Rick and his group, along with the Kingdom and Hilltop, have banded together to bring the fight to Negan and the Saviors.

Episode 2 - 'The Damned'

The plan involving Alexandrians, Kingdommers and Hilltoppers unfolds; as Rick continues to fight, he encounters a familiar face.

Episode 3 - 'Monsters'

Conflict with the Saviors leads to unintended consequences for the Hilltop, the Kingdom, and Alexandria; morality proves tricky in wartime.

The Walking Dead season 8: details for episodes 1-3 released

Pace has started to pick up. At least in the synopsis.

 

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Although Eugene Porter actor Josh McDermitt prefers not to know what's coming up on The Walking Dead, he promises his character is full-on Negan.

During a visit to the set of The Walking Dead's 100th episode, ComicBook.com caught up with McDermitt in the same room where table reads and screenings of cuts of episodes take place. It happens to be lined with photos of each fallen character, including Eugene's good friend Abraham. With such a reminder nearby, McDermitt still assures Eugene is no longer on Rick's side.

Josh McDermitt Promises Eugene Is "Team Negan" In 'The Walking Dead' Season 8

Dr Evil has spoken

"He's with Saviors, he's on team Negan, he's looking out for himself," McDermitt said. "He's thinking about self preservation, just trying to continue to live in this apocalypse."

 

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During a press conference on Saturday night at New York Comic Con, The Walking Dead's Morgan Jones actor Lennie James revealed a touching regret his character carries through the apocalypse.

In the earliest episode of The Walking Dead, Morgan introduced Rick Grimes to the apocalypse by educating him on the undead, which were walking around beside them. For Morgan, though, these walkers had a very personal connection to him. One walker circling his house was his late wife Jenny.

Lennie James Reveals Heartbreaking Regret for Morgan on 'The Walking Dead'

"Morgan didn't put a bullet in his wife's head," James said. "I think he'd be a different man today."

Morgan has changed significantly since the early days of The Walking Dead, as have all the characters surviving thus far. One of the key changes, however, is understanding the need to put the reanimated down as a means to prevent their endless rotting and wandering of the earth, a revelation which came upon learning there is no cure for the zombie virus.

"The whole dilemma, the crux of the dilemma in Morgan's life was pulling that trigger. If he didn't pull it for the right reasons and he should've pulled it," James said. "Good question, either answer."

 

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If necromorphosis could be cured

 

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Here are the audience and ratings numbers for The Walking Dead half way through its eighth season:

• Episode 8x01: 11.44 million (5.0)
• Episode 8x02: 8.92 million (4.0)
• Episode 8x03: 8.52 million (3.8)
• Episode 8x04: 8.69 million (3.9)
• Episode 8x05: 7.85 million (3.4)
• Episode 8x06: 8.3 million (3.6)
• Episode 8x07: 7.47 million (3.3)
• Episode 8x08: 7.9 million (3.4)

'The Walking Dead' Hits Another Low With Midseason Finale Ratings

 

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Spoiler

In The Walking Dead's live-action counterpart, the show made its biggest deviation from the comics yet when — spoilers — Carl revealed an incurable walker bite on his midsection in the final moments of the season 8 mid-season finale, "How It's Gotta Be."

When the series picks up in late February, Carl Grimes will die: the bite is a "one-way ticket," according to Gimple, who says the bite will "play out as we've seen bites play out."

Despite fan outcry over the decision to axe Carl — and subsequent efforts to oust Gimple from his position as showrunner — Carl Grimes will be The Walking Dead next major casualty.

Carl's comic book storylines will be divvied up and given to other characters, but some of Carl's biggest moments — his relationship with a jailed Negan, his romance with Lydia — will be snuffed out with Carl's death.

Suggestions to alter the storyline, as the show frequently does, could place the Romeo and Juliet-esque romance being given instead to Enid — maybe Alpha has a son, Lloyd — and his future blacksmith learnings could be given to no one in particular, if adapted at all.

With Carl dead, the Whisperers story arc loses much of its luster, especially coming on the tail end of a season that has exhausted a good number of its viewers.

Why 'The Walking Dead' Should Skip The Whisperers

 

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Millions of people are still watching The Walking Dead but a huge portion of them aren't doing so live.

The Walking Dead was named the second-most DVR-ed TV series of 2017 according to a survey by Vizio parent company Inscape. The only show which was recorded for later viewings more than The Walking Dead was A&E's Live PD. The data 7.7 million households.

"I think overall we're seeing increased competition, not just from television and not just from streaming services, but you get content everywhere," The Walking Dead executive producer David Alpert told Variety. "The idea that people watch things super live, that need to view on the same night and we're measuring ratings like a live rating, I feel like it's a little be anachronistic to be like, 'Oh, you're not holding the same ratings that you were.'"

Alpert equates The Walking Dead's ratings slide in recent years to the change in viewing methods. "I don't think in any way the brand has lost its relevance," Alpert said. "I think in general we're just seeing a decline in urgency across all media to consume something at a specific time."

Despite any ratings decline, The Walking Dead remained the top-rated show on cable in live+7 totals, adding an extra credence to Alpert's comments.

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its eighth season on February 25, 2018. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

'The Walking Dead' Was Second-Most DVR-ed Show Of 2017

 

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AMC has heard our complaints.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, The Walking Dead has officially been renewed for Season 9.

To shake things up a bit, however, Seasons 4-8 showrunner Scott M Gimple has been promoted to chief content officer of the franchise, which will involve him overseeing the TV universe (including Fear The Walking Dead) as well as the gaming side of things and future brand expansions.

Meanwhile, Angela Kang has succeeded Gimple as showrunner for the upcoming season, having been with the series since 2011. As well as executive producing The Walking Dead, she has written 20 episodes of the show, including ‘Coda’ and ‘Still’

The Walking Dead renewed for Season 9, gets new showrunner

The survivors of The Walking Dead have been living in an apocalyptic hell for just over 600 days.

That's right: it hasn't even been two years since small town cop Rick Grimes woke up in a world gone bye, in an episode that first aired in 2010.

Since then, Rick has established himself as leader of a tight-knit group of survivors, Team Family, who found a home in Virginia's walled-off Alexandria community.

Team Family has trekked on foot as well by vehicle — including a gas-guzzling RV, RIP — and they've been warring with Negan and his army of Saviors, whose seemingly endless resources include a cache of vehicles of all sizes, including trucks and jeeps.

Where's all that gas coming from, and how long until it all runs out?

Many survivors would have raided gas stations and fuel suppliers in the earliest stages of the initial outbreak, making fuel even more of a commodity.

Using a ratio supplied by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman in issue #10 of the comic book — the ratio of walkers to humans is 5,000 to one — SourceFedNERD's Matt Lieberman estimated 0.0002% of the world's population, or just 1.4 million people, were still alive when the outbreak went global.

How Long Until 'The Walking Dead' Runs Out Of Gas?