
EXCLUSIVE: This is a quite a bombshell — I have learned that Frank Darabont, the creator, executive producer and director of AMC’s smash hit The Walking Dead, is stepping down as showrunner of the series, which is now in production on its upcoming second season. The news is even more surprising given the fact that Darabont was on hand for Walking Dead’s Comic-Con panel just this past Friday alongside fellow executive producers Robert Kirkman, on whose graphic novel the series is based, and Gale Anne Hurd and appeared excited about Season 2. There is speculation that Darabont might be off the show completely, but I hear talks are still ongoing about him possibly staying on in some capacity. Darabont, who spent five years trying to get a TV version of the zombie saga off the ground and wrote and directed the AMC pilot, hails from the feature world, and I hear that he never quite adjusted to the daily grind of producing a TV series. Last December, he considered forgoing a writing staff for Season 2 and assigning scripts to freelancers but ultimately went for the traditional writing staff model recommended by the network and tapped Glen Mazzara as an executive producer and his No. 2. It is unclear if The Shield alum Mazzara, who has showrunning experience, would now step in to run Walking Dead. I hear that the behind-the-scenes turmoil has not affected production on the show, which continues as scheduled. Season 2 of Walking Dead is slated to premiere Oct. 16. In addition to huge ratings, the series has garnered awards recognition for its freshman season, including a best drama series Golden Globe nomination as well as DGA and WGA noms. In a Deadline Emmy Q&A last month, Darabont raved about his transition to television. “In TV, you have to get ideas across in a more economical way,” he said. “But the process is fundamentally the same (as features), just accelerated. There’s no time for second guessing. The wheels are in constant motion. I love that about television. If I’d known how much fun it was, I’d have done it years ago.”
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.


Nobody seems to like working with Frank twice. I wonder why.
What about Stephen King?
I wouldn’t call that a collaboration. Frank options a story… Stephen watches it at the movie theater. Nary a creative conversation is had.
You must really be from Sony TV because your head is firmly planted up your own ass and you’re making comments with no basis in reality. The King/Darabont collaborations began when Darabont was an unknown 20 year old wanna be filmmaker, and continued with “handshake deals”. Darabont closely collaborates with King; is respectful of the writer; and because of it has done more King projects than almost anyone else — largely because of their longtime friendship.
Not to mention ALL the actors ON Walking Dead who have collaborated with Frank before.
The idea that production hasn’t been impacted by the Showrunner’s abrupt departure is as ludicrous as the idea of a Showrunner writing every episode of a show by himself.
So, given seasons 3 and 4 of Babylon 5, I guess you’re saying it’s not ludicrous at all?
Yes, Babylon was soooooo incredibly amazing. If that came out of one person, now I can better understand why it belongs right up there with Baywatch Season 14.
Spoken like someone who’s seen maybe one episode during the show’s first season.
Babylon 5′s season 4 was actually 4 AND 5 jammed together since JMS was told the show was being cancelled at the end of 4 and didn’t want the in-progress plotlines left unresolved.
Making it work was a major achievement!
And, in terms of showrunners who write most, if not all of the eps, what about Rod Serling?
Got something snide to say about the original Twilight Zone?
Actually, Babylon *5* was and still is freaking amazing. So amazing I would actually say it’s even better then all 14 seasons of Bay(cleavage)watch combined. That is a lot of viewing filled with bouncing joy. And I would forsake that visual feast for the glory that is Babylon 5.
B5 doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves. I mean, it really showed American television that a truly serialized show could be done, and with a planned beginning, middle, and ending. B5 was a landmark in television accomplishment. Recognize.
Adam Rifkin did it with LOOK. It’s not impossible.
Actually, there are a number of showrunners who have done exactly that: written (or rewritten) virtually every show of the season. Diane English did it (Murphy Brown), Aaron Sorkin did it twice (Sports Night, The West Wing), David E Kelley has done it on multiple shows (Ally McBeal, The Practice, Picket Fences), as did Susan Harris (Soap, The Golden Girls), and the husband and wife team of Davis and Carroll wrote every episode of “I Love Lucy” over its entire six-season run.
It happens more often than you think…
Not to mention Michael Hirst on The Tudors…
Tell that to David e. Kelley and Aaron Sorkin. However, Frank Darabaont never did or intended to write every episode of The Walking Dead.
Frank does not know how to work with others. His ego gets in the way for whats best for the show. Trust me I know from first hand experience. The show will be much better off… its just to bad the producers from season 1 have moved on to other things already.
except the dozens of actors and crewmembers smartass.
First off, I’m sure the same could be said of you, or of most of us, given the right (read: wrong) answerer of the question.
More to the point, you’re demonstrating two things with this comment: First, that you don’t know much about Gale Anne Hurd, who has a much worse reputation in terms of being difficult with co-workers. And second, the man’s genius is why the show is the highest ratings earner for AMC in the network’s history. He’s the reason the first two episodes are works of art. Not Gale. Not the actors. And certainly not you — whoever you think you are.
I’m sure he’ll stay as consultant or something. If he was leaving altogether, the show would be in at least some sort of disarray, but if things are like normal he probably just wants free time for movies and have the tv show as a side project.
What??? This doesn’t even make any logical sense in the slightest. How could he step down? Is this groundbreaking show going down like the Titanic? I need answers!
replace ‘groundbreaking’ with ‘derivative’
Derivative in what way? Care to cite some examples? Derivative could be applied to just about any work.
Well, we can start with the entire body of George Romero’s work.
And with that, you go on ye olde ignore. What an ignorant comment.
That’s quite literally the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, and seeing as I work with elementary students, that’s saying something. You claim TWD to be “derivative” of Romero; well, if that’s true, then Romero is derivative of ancient voodoo mysticism. The only thing connecting these three things are the word “zombie.”. Night of the Living Dead was great, a groundbreaking of work; however, each subsequent work of Romero’s has been less and less spectacular. Dawn of the Dead was stirring, but not to the degree NotLD was; Day ot Dead was badly paced; Land ot Dead was just kind of ridiculous; and Diary of the Dead was about as well-written as a suicide note with a time limit. TWD is the first of ANY major “zombie” work to truly follow the downward spiral of the world without limiting its POV from within a basement or mall.
Seriously… That was just a stupid thing to say.
Let’s also not forget that the very opening — him waking in a hospital — is stolen from 28 Days Later, which was originally stolen from Day of the Triffids. I mean, c’mon — let’s be honest — everyone knows the Walking Dead is as derivative as anything gets…we just don’t care because it’s fun to watch zombies in a tv series. Just don’t try to pretend that it’s breaking new ground.
The walking Dead comic was being written before 28 Days Later ever came to theatres and Rick waking up in the hospital was in the comic. It can’
t be derivitive of it if it was being written BEFORE that crappy 28 Days movie was released…
Um…. You seem to be confusing The Walking Dead with Fallen Skies.
Precisely.
…and replace “the Titanic” with “Jenna Jamison…”
Yeah, I said it, the show blows.
How’s it feel to be in the minority AND be wrong?
Karma is a bitch. Frank has been an insane dbag to everyone around him for years. FEATURES? He has zero lined up and is not on any list at any studio. The Darabont saga is as sad as Orson Welles. One brilliant feature then nada. I think he needs to shoot some wine commercials.
This was completely expected.
There’s a reason why Season One was so lackluster. The show needs a steady hand. Frank’s a talent but he can’t do it all.
Exactly. Season 1 had a very good pilot, but was followed by an incredibly steep drop in quality for the remaining 5 episodes. It was like watching 2 different shows.
With “The Killing,” though, “good pilot followed by awful series” seems to be AMC’s new thing.
He’s a crazy insane hack. This is welcome news!!!
not that shocking to me as Darabont obviously a big-time Hollywood director & this was always a temp for him. It can survive without him. I do hope they stick closer to source material unlike latter half of 1st season
this was always a ‘temp’ for him? Boloney! He has been trying to get this to the small screen for 5 years. It was NEVER intended to be a side job.
Well this sucks. Frank is big reason why the show is such a huge hit
Actually, not really the show has less character development and less emotional impactful moments and nearly note for note the show beside episode 4, the end of 5 & 6 which were original stories
I mean compared to the comic,
Things Darabont & CO added:
-The little girl zombie in the beginning
-Wife Zombie
-The racist redneck brothers
-Black guy from the roof
-Wife Beater dude
-Shane snapping and beating the hell out of wife beater and pointing the gun at rick
-Black woman who stayed behind at the end of episode 6
-Fishing scene between the 2 sisters
-Latino dudes and most of the events of Episode 4
-CDC
-explosion
“Wife beater dude” was also in the comics, kind of at least. Carol mentioned her abusive husband, but in the comics he was already dead.
Some additions were okay, like the Dixon brothers, zombie girl, wife zombie, Shane snapping and fishing scene. The CDC and especially the Vatos were a waste of time. I can totally life with some additions and changes as long as the main story remains the same. I hope things will be better in s2.
The point is the character of the wife beater dude, is that he’s doing the wife beating thing in the middle of a full on Zombie Apocalypse FULL STOP
Most additions were terrible. The racist guy and the contrived racial conflict with the black guy on the roof and the ridiculous episode with the Latino gang protecting the old folks home and the wife beater guy, all that was melodrama. The sort of thing parodied in “Night Of Racial Tension”, the satirical channel 101 short (google it, it’s funny). The final episode with the absurd mad scientist where the script can’t decide if the scientist is mad or reasonable, that was the worst of all, all just to end the finale with a huge climactic explosion.
The show needs to just go back to the grounded realistic plot of the comic.
That said, I agree with most posters that WD is still better and has greater potential than most shows on tv, and I’ll be watching every episode. I just want it to be nearly as good as the comic.
It’s a little surprising but it makes sense in retrospect.
The Walking Dead had an impressive pilot but it was more efficient as a self-contained piece. The next episodes introduced poorly written characters (the various rednecks, for instance) and lost steam. If the same issues remain for season two, it can still be a hit (horror fans have unfortunately a high tolerance for average-to-bad writing) but most of the appeal comes from a one hour and a half pilot with priorities opposed to what an episodic show has to deliver week after week.
“The next episodes introduced poorly written characters (the various rednecks, for instance) and lost steam.”
Poorly written? One of those “rednecks” was only in 15 minutes of one episode (whereupon the audience learned he was bugfuck crazy and hardcore), and the other has already shown more development than most of the other supporting cast members. You think you can judge an entire show’s set of character arcs from five episodes?
I don’t need to stick up for the show, but give credit where credit is due. The cast works very well as an ensemble, and some of the minor actors have blown people away with their performances (the woman who plays Carol, for instance).
I actually agree with Dwigt here. The writing outside of the pilot (which had less dialog than most episodes) was shockingly bad for a show that was such a big hit.
Your claims of charcater development dont really make sense as there was little to no growth for anyione last year, but you are right that it was a very short season and that could easily change moving forward.
Agree. Caught the show on DVD and after episode 3, I gave up. The pilot was fine but the following episodes were really bad. No character development, cliché characters. I guess season 1 worked because it was a very short season but they can’t continue in that route. I’m sure season 2 will be successful and it kind of help that the show is on cable and not a main network. The ratings don’t have to be that high.
I agree wholeheartedly with DougMac and Shane. This change will likely be the best thing for the show. Like many other commenters, I watched and was intrigued by the pilot, then dismayed with how rote and mundane the show became starting with episode 2. Although I DVRd all episodes, I found myself forwarding through them (in fast motion) in hopes of spying something interesting. No such luck.
“and the other has already shown more development than most of the other supporting cast members.”
If by “more development,” you mean that the character is all but forgotten, has absolutely no bearing on the show, and occasionally has to say something redneck every ten minutes to remind us he still exists, then I’ll agree.
I’ll try to be clear: it’s been the apocalypse for weeks. The dead have resurrected, mankind is on the verge of extinction. And what are your priorities? Refusing black people equal rights, beating your wife to a pulp or lusting for your own daughter. In the Romero movies, there were racial and social tensions but they were justified by the fact it was the first night of the epidemic and people hadn’t fully embraced the consequences (the original Night of the Living Dead) or that it had started so long ago that humanity had settled back to its old groove. In The Walking Dead, people have to question themselves to survive after weeks of fights but bigots haven’t changed one bit because they’re bigots and a zombie is still better than a Negro… So, we get a lesson: prejudice is bad.
Want another example? The scientist in the medical center who has a few words to say to Rick concerning the blood tests. If the show sticks with the original comic, it would be because Lori is pregnant. So, you’ve got a pregnant woman but you won’t give her the good news, you tell her husband instead…
The writing isn’t as bad as in The Killing, there are still a few good scenes here and there (Laurie Holden watching her sister die and turn into a zombie) but if you take the pilot apart, the show isn’t really that compelling.
@Dwigt, I get what you’re saying but you also assume that you know how humans behave in dire situations. Check out every disaster, there are looters, muggers, rapists preying on the victims. Not everyone comes together and work as a team. This is what the WD tries to show.
Finding out you’re pregnant in the middle of a zombie apocalypse isn’t exactly good news. And if they stuck to the original comic, there wouldn’t be a CDC plot.
Yeah, the show introduced a whole slew of characters yet didn’t make us care about them in anyway. Did the Black woman even say two words, for example? Yet the show somehow expected us to care when she died?
And the scene between the sisters in the boat was like something out of a Halmark movie (seriously, go back and listen to the dialogue in that scene). Plus the completely idiotic and pointless Latino Gang After School Special inserted into the middle of the season for no reason at all.
Plus, I actually thought the acting was pretty poor all around.
That said, it was only 6 episodes. I still have faith that the show could turn out to be awesome yet if they get some good writers in.
Hey i cared about Jackie when she died haha, she didn’t say much she did have a good idea about the sewers connecting under old buildings.
As for the Vatos i felt it was more then appropriate In the graphic novels you cant trust anyone the prison is when they first encounter strangers and Dexter was gonna kill them later now this was a Ghetto brother that was accused of killing the two girls, now in vatos Kirkman spins it around you think the vatos are ghetto kids too, well they are but with morals, and yes there are some vatos like that who have morals. Plus it made it more clear that Atlanta is gone.
Oh and the scene with Andrea and Amy talking about their dead folks i dont know what kinda halmark shows you watch but apperently my girlfriend is making me miss the good ones haha. i see where your coming from but now hopefully you see mine too.
It’s a hit because it’s based on a beloved comic book and because it’s the first TV show about zombies, which are at peak popularity. Darabont means little to it. If it had stuck closer to the comic book, it might even be a BIGGER hit.
“If it had stuck closer to the comic book, it might even be a BIGGER hit.”
I doubt it. It’s already AMC’s highest-rated new series. It broke ratings records no one expected. It’s simply adaptation distillation.
The comic book had a lot of questionable and fantastical elements that wouldn’t really fit in the show. I’ve been pretty impressed with how they’ve introduced new locales and characters (like the Vatos, the CDC) and stayed consistent with the overall narrative.
“It’s already AMC’s highest-rated new series”
Yeah, but it is AMC…
Um, yeah, NBC would like a show that gets a 3.0 in 18-49. As would every other basic cable network since that’s, you know, the best ever.
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/06/walking-dead-finale-draws-6-million-viewers-3-0-adults-18-49-rating/74468/
Yeah, plus it was kicking the ass of new episodes of whichever CSI show was airing in the same timeslot.
You can’t compare those numbers to the big networks like CBS, FOX & Co. Totally different prerequisites.
Kirkman (creator of the comic) is in on just about everything going on with the show, and he’s come out and said straight up that some of those changes were made because some of the more fantastical elements in the comic book just don’t translate well to screen. Also, it’s hinted in the interview that he gives that the CDC stuff was his idea.
I agree!!!
LOVE IT GOOD BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DARABONT GTFO!
The show is not in the middle of production. They were shooting episode 11 of 13 when I interviewed Darabont and Hurd last month at the Saturn Awards. If anything, they’re shooting the season finale.
You couldn’t be more wrong. Episode 5 is currently in production, not 11. I know because I work on the show.
Having had the experience of working with him years ago, I say good riddance!! not a nice guy. not a collaborator. that may be ok on a feature, but not on tv. The haul is too long.
So, milk Frank for all he’s worth at Comic Con and then bu-bye?
so many good directors are a nightmare to deal with – that’s part of what makes them good directors.
You evidently don’t work in the industry.
Most of the insane directors are so because they’re hacks relying heavily on the writer and editor to make them look good. A good director can handle his shit. There’s a reason Darabont hasn’t been making movies.
I do work in the industry on the development/production side. What part did you say you work in?
Insane directors are so because if they make money for a studio, the studio will keep giving them movies to make.
Where the hell did you learn that? What a bunch of crap! Have fun working with assholes the rest of your life…or go back to Indiana
I learned it by making movies with directors at studios. And it’s Ohio.
I so gotta cosign on this. What a moronic comment, Amanda. It’s this kind of mentality that makes it so easy for assholes to be assholes. Because brainwashed people like you are so willing to be kicked around and then say “thank you.” Wake up, GF.
Giving an asshole a movie to make is different than allowing a director to become an asshole while making a movie. the producer and studios have to get on that. I’ve seen more nice guy directors make duds and more jerks make entertaining movies.
FOX didn’t like being kicked around by Cameron in order to make a billion dollars but they’re still making Avatar 2 and 3 with him. Wake up to how it actually works, not how it should work. Let me know when you get paid.
Oh I’ve worked with assholes, Amanda. Unfortunately. You can’t not work with assholes in this industry. But I don’t walk around excusing their behavior. Like some people.
Here’s a life lesson you might want to ponder: None of us were put here to make other people miserable. Not for the pursuit of our craft – not for any reason. Crazy thought, huh?
We all have our shit to deal with. To that I don’t need to add a tyrant beating me down to feel better about themselves. I don’t care if it’s the way “things are done.” Maybe we need a new paradigm.
Such bullshit. They’re assholes because this business will use Atilla The Hun if they think they can make them some money, so assholes can get away with, whereas in most industries you can’t. Being an asshole has zero correlation to creative gift/talent, or organizational skill – the two areas a good director needs to excel.
Being an asshole can have correlation to creative gift/talent. Schnabel, Arronofsky and Coppola aren’t easy to work with, but they make damn good movies. Artists are notoriously difficult – that’s why they are artists. They see things a different way and challenge the status quo.
If you want something interesting and original from a director, or more importantly, a director wants to give you something interesting and original, it’s going to be a battle. This business is about making money first, being creative second.
Comic-Con was absolute madness when Frank was at the Walking Dead signing. His fans f-ing love him. And, he did a ton of press for the show and now all of a sudden two days later he’s out? hmmmm
It’s likely that Darabont was gone weeks before but that they kept the news under wraps until Comic-Con was over because it would have been the big issue during the panel. As he still has a stake in the production, he may have agreed to save face until it was over.
Um, “Darabont’s a big time Hollywood director”? Since when? Why do you think he’s doing TV in the first place?
By the way, after the pilot, the show was insufferably bad, and that teaser they showed at Comic-Con only reinforced the idea that it will be more of the same. I bailed after Ep. 2 and then came back for the season finale and…was glad I bailed.
“Since when?’ I’m guessing since he directed “Shawshank Redemption” – No. 1 all time on iMDb as rated by users. I would argue it’s a perfect film – on my top 10 list (which would also include “The Godfather”, “Godfather II” and “Citizen Kane.”) Now, of course, by “big time” you no doubt mean is he hot now? I’m not going to run through the list of who that might be, but it’s more than likely they’ll never make a film that great. So I’m going to give the term “big time” a little leeway, meaning that a guy who made one of the best motion pictures of all time was working on a TV series. A “big time” director, not just “Michael Bay” big, but “Orson Welles” big – in all the good and bad that means – except for fat. (I think Frank watches his weight.) Yeah, it was nearly 20 years ago, but I’ll give the poster a thumbs up on the hyperbole on this one.
Too bad nothing you said matters a damn. Darabont is dead in features now. That’s just a sad fact. Doesn’t mean he wasn’t great once. Francis Ford Coppola isn’t working much these days either. Bottom line, Frank is not currently a bigtime hollywood director.
Enjoy watching The Mist.
I pre-emptively acknowledged all of your points. And???
Last I checked Coppola has a new film coming out. And I’ll bet that since Walking Dead was by all accounts a phenomenal success that Darabont’s stock is up — perhaps that’s why he’s bolting.
Actually, outside of the USA and imdb, the popularity of The Shawshank Redemption is a huge mystery. It’s an above average movie, sure, even a good one. It pulls a few good strings here and there, there’s a message of hope through tenacity. But in the same league as the works of Coppola, Orson Welles or Sergio Leone? It’s just a very consensual feel-good movie.
And The Green Mile? Very simplistic. The bad guards are a caricature, the good prisoner is what critics call a Magical negro. The original novel by King had at least a point of view, the adaptation is bombastic. And let’s not talk about The Majestic…
Thank you. I’ve always found “Shawshank” to be a very good but not exceptionally great film.
Sounds like Frank made up with George Lucas and will be directing the new Star Wars tv show
Darabont refuses to believe that Rick Deckard was a Replicant. Fuck him.
But he’s seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire of the shoulder of Orion and such…
At least this way we don’t have to worry about having a “Mist” moment for the final episode. I liked season one, but the whole struggle to survive idea (lack of resources, for instance) was contrived. I hope they’ll move back to the genre this season and focus on characters and not improbable situations.
I hated the “Vatos”. Stick to the original story. It’s wonderful the way it is. Robert Kirkman knows how to keep people interested. Nothing needs to be changed.
The Vatos was horrible, but that was the episode Kirkman wrote so you’re kind of contradicting yourself there.
Frank added The Vatos. They weren’t in Kirkman’s draft for the episode.
For your information Robert Kirkman wrote vatos he wanted to place the cholos in the story plus if it was just like the comics it would be boring because now i dont even have to read just look at the moving pictures lol.
it’s amusing that who many posters are clueless. if you think that the walking dead is sucks, ok. but the show is one of the rare shows, where ratings are not declining, but growing. not to mention that compared to other amc-show those ratings are huge.
1.01 5.34 million viewers adults 18-49: 2.7/7
1.02 4.70 million viewers adults 18-49: 2.5/7
1.03 5.07 million viewers adults 18-49: 2.5/7
1.04 4.75 million viewers adults 18-49: 2.4/6
1.05 5.56 million viewers adults 18-49: 2.8/7
1.06 5.97 million viewers adults 18-49: 3.0/8
Thank you. All the “ooh the ratings weren’t good, it’d have been better if it was made the way I wanted it made” posts were driving me crazy.
Well I’ve learned 2 things:
1. DHD commenters continue to be some of the least informed/most delusional people in town.
2. Darabont has clearly made some enemies, some of which he probably earned, some of which are probably just jealous. Happens if you’ve been a working director for as long as he has.
Love it or hate it, Darabont is the biggest creative force behind this very successful show (other than Kirkman), and this news is indeed a bombshell to cast and crew.
I can’t claim to know Frank at all. however, I met him in an art dealers booth at Comic-Con about 7 years(?) ago as he was writing M:I 3 and staying in Tom Cruise’s guest house. I told him I was a huge fan and expected that to be it, but instead he engaged me in conversation for 15 minutes. I gave him plenty of outs to extricate himself, but he was kind, cordial and offered tips to this aspiring screenwriter.
That sort of kindness towards a fan is nevervforgotten and goes a long way towards respect for a great writer and director. I will ALWAYS remember his generosity and time.
He was just a huge X-Men 2099 fan.
Walking dead is a bad remake of any Romero movies without talent ir content. Kirkman is a hack who stumbled into the zombie craze by sheer luck. Darabont should move on to better things. The ratings on season 2 are going to dive.
Wow who’s this emo kid where everyone sucks and TWD is gonna dive on season 2, haha kid you’re weak we all know that wont happen there’s to many of us and only one of you to make this show go away.