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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.”
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terrible news although not surprising after the writers were fired after the first season.
it’s been an entertaining show for people who wanted something that covered zombies with a lot more depth of characters and story than something like the Resident Evil franchise.
What’s with all the Frank Darabont hate? WALKING DEAD is amazingly good–as the previous poster noted, all the cool things he added(*including the li’l zombie girl in bunny slippers that truly set the tone). THE MIST was dark, unnerving and unpromising. The man’s quality control on WD is amazing–this is a great show, not an underwritten, overhyped POS like FALLING SKIES. Let the man do his work.
WD was better than all 3 of Romero’s last zombie movies. Gale H, letting him go would be like tossing Cameron off Terminator, and we all know what happened to that franchise…
All the hate? I would guess that firing all the writers from season 1 of this show didn’t win him any fans. Kind of sucks you finally get your dream shot and write for a hit show and you still get canned.
amen. darabont and his track record in great horror movies was the hook for getting me aware of and into this show. now he’s going, its just going to devolve into another fan-wank tv genre show. upset he’s going. wish it were a hoax…
“unpromising” should have been “Uncompromising”!
Granted, I didn’t much like WD after the first episode, and the 2 women in the row boat was some of the worst TV of the series. That row boat scene was a Hallmark movie of the week horrible scene. It should have been edited out.
I think the numbers reflected the need for a zombie show and the wishful desire that the show would improve over the run of the show. It was a short series and so I have doubts that it would really hold those type of numbers in the long run.
That said, why all the hate towards Darabont? It’s one thing to hate how the WD turned out, but why do so many hate the man?
Very curious as to why so much venom directed at this director/writer.
Frank is one of the most talented directors of our time and that usually comes with uncompromising personality that is required for excellent work. Television is too small of an arena for him specially AMC. Can’t wait to see more of Frank’s work in the future on big screen.
“Walking Dead.” Never has there been a more appropriate title.
Let George Romero have some time with it.
People, why do you defend the guy? He didn’t step down, he was fired. Do you know how egregious your behavior has to be to fired off a massive hit show like the Walking Dead? You have to be totally insufferable! You have to be an abusive prick to the writers, directors and the network, and Darabont was. For the record, Robert Kirkman is the star, not Frank Darabont, and it drove Frank absolutely crazy. Robert Kirkman is everything Frank Darabont is not; he’s a humble, generous guy, he’s a decent family man, and he’s the defining creative force behind the Walking Dead. Darabont took Robert’s great idea and tried his darndest to screw it up, then tried to marginalize Robert when that failed. He couldn’t stand the fact that Robert was better liked and appreciated than he was, and everything he did as a result contributed to what happened to him today. As someone who worked with both guys on this show — and who has wanted to speak out for a long time — I can tell you the right guy got canned, and the right guy got his show back!
As a fan of the comic first and of the show second, I am thankful for all that Frank has done. And as a professional, I’m well aware of people’s need to move on. Frank has set a fantastic tone for whom ever follows in his footsteps. And I welcome a little variety to their input. That being said, if said new showrunner f$#*s with the prison story/The Governor in season 3. I will go Michonne on his/her ass!
I don’t blame him if he could not make the adjustment from features to TV. TV is a process line, while features give one breathing space, regardless of how much footage goes into the can on a daily basis. Routine can kill some people.
It’ll be interesting to see if there’ll be a third seson and just how it’ll run without Frank Daramont’s involvment.
I’m just curious if they’re going to go as dark as Kirkman’s later WD graphic novels. I’m not talking about zombie gore here, but rather the twisted situations the main characters get into with other living humans.
That’s impossible even for FX. The content of Kirkman’s comic, beginning with when they arrive at the farm and prison and especially when they encounter The Governor or The Hunters, makes the darkest, grisliest episode of The Shield or Breaking Bad seem like Newhart. It would simply never be acceptable for cable tv even toned down. I assume it’s why Kirkman said the plot of the series will not literally follow the comic, as well as to provide plot surprises.
That’s absurd, you make the comic sound like porn. It’s hardly the “darkest,” “grisliest” thing imaginable. AMC has shown they’re willing to go just about anywhere with violence – did you catch the season premiere of Breaking Bad? – and the only thing that might be cause for pause is the creepy paedo stuff between The Governor and his zombie daughter.
sad to see Frank go for he was proving how walking dead should be done in other media. as all this drama not affecting the current filming season it is proably having some affect but the cast and crew are busy concintrating on the show to let it bother them doing their jobs. but if frank wants to leave that is his choice hope it does not hurt the show and get it canned before they can finaly get to the governor showing up
The only person the Walking Dead can’t do without is the amazing Greg Nicotero. He’s the real reason the show is such a big hit. He deserves some props.
I agree with the Nicotero statement. He’s the one who’s on set EVERY SINGLE DAY from beginning to end. He also pretty much second unit directs just about every episode. He definitely deserves more credit. I’m hoping that this is just because Frank is finally gonna start shooting Fahrenheit 451 this year. I’ve heard talk that it’ll start filming in Norway in December. None the less, it’s a shame he’s leaving the show. Love him or hate him, he’s the reason the show was made in the first place and whoever takes over has some big shoes to fill. Best of luck to both Frank in his next endeavor and whoever gets promoted to showrunner.
Wasn’t Darabont supposed to step down after first season and then the show would be taken over by Charles Eglee? I mean we know how it ended but maybe he thought that Mazzara will do fine. Anyway I agree it’s very weird for a guy who tried to get it off the ground for a long time.
Most possible scenario is that he was fighting the network with those budget cuts and “they let him walk off on his own will” since they wouldn’t have to look for new showrunner.
Do you hear that… it’s the sound of the show getting better.
It’s simple folks, Frank is a genuinely charming man and a genuine movie artist. But television is a tough medium to adapt to, you either have the stomach for the continuous hard work and problem solving or you don’t. I loved the fact that Frank gave it a try, made such a success out of it, and am sad it didn’t work out for the long haul.
Can’t wait to see what he does next.
Walking dead opening came prior to 28 days in the novel. Everyone here has there head up there arses. The information of this mews isn’t entirely correct.
This isn’t news, kirkman had mentioned several times when the show began that he would ensure that the “crew” was constantly rotating so that he would have complete control over his intellectual property. Kirkman, not AMC or image, owns all of the rights and has said that he will not give them up for anything.
While Frank Darabont’s contributions to this show are undeniable a lot of people have really put him high on a pedestal after Shawshank Redemption and he just hasn’t made a good movie since. Green Mile was grossly overrated and The Mist was one of the worst Stephen King adapted films I’ve ever seen (yes–worse than Stephen King’s own Maximum Overdrive). I say good riddance! Maybe he’ll make a cameo in another John Carpenter film.
Wonder why the same network that fired Frank Darabont chose to indulge an equally “difficult” artist like Matthew Weiner.
Two hit shows. Overseen by two talented men… only one of whom gets shown the door.
Because in you’re world, “stepped down” means fired.
I work on the show, not much of an impact
I don’t understand a lot of the posts in here…
you hate the show so much you seek out a comments page devoted to it simply to trash it? I can’t stand Twilight, so I don’t go to any web pages associated with it. I love TWD, so here I am on the page. Basically, what I’m saying is, if you hate this show so much, why waste your time on this page? Get a life.
The comic book the show is based on has been around for some time now. 28 Days Later came out well after the comic, so there is no copying… it was just coincidence, or 28 days later copied TWD comic. Romero did it first, but invented nothing. Zombies are an old idea. This show DOES break new ground… unless there has been a zombie series on television before? I thought not.
All that being said, I think the series is great so far on its own merit. I love the comic, and am actually glad the show isn’t a page for page rehash of the comic. New things added and some things missing makes the show fresh, and makes the whole TWD story brand new. To everyone involved with the series: keep up the good work.
The first season was GREAT. And honestly I went into it cold, without knowing a thing about it. (Though I do have a formal background in film theory.)
After watching one episode I was hooked.
I know good film when I see it and it doesn’t take a trained eye to know when something is good.
If studio execs and overzealous fanboys cannot see the strong foundation for a good series this man has laid down, that’s not his error. You can see how meticulous he is from the casting of the actors, the cinematography, type of cameras, to the subtle CGI he chose to use, on a TV budget no less!
Don’t believe me?
Flip the channel back from the last boring reality show/ sit-com you’re watching to the Walking Dead and the difference is immediate in the quality of shots and picture.
He did great work and its a shame they let him go.
The show this year has hit it’s beat. Look every show can’t follow the sorce too much READ THE COMIC IF U WANT THAT. This was meant too get a new group of people. My mom never read the book. I did yet she still can fellow it. The last eps I watched in season two now are drawing from the book. the story is tighter and vastly different from season 2. they don’t need one screen writer they needed the people to watch now stick to the story and it won’t matter who tells it just the acting and delervence of the part. It’s number one cause it always ran on emotion and how rick deals with this messed up new world. Focus on that and the people will watch and debate it lol like these blogs!