With Comic-Con 2010 right around the corner, we are getting inundated with Walking Dead news, so we thought we would round it up into one, massive, super-post! You're welcome! Check below for the latest on AMC's upcoming zombie TV series!
- AICN has the first cast photo from the show (pictured above). If you've read the comic book, you probably jizzed your pants just a bit (I did, but it was just coincidental), then wondered where Michonne and Tyrese are. Remember, season one is only six epsiodes.
- DigitalSpy reports that writer/director/producer Frank Darabont will explore the world before the zombie outbreak.
Our pilot show ends right as Rick gets into Atlanta and that's actually not that many pages into the comic. That's an hour of what we're doing. We're giving it a lot of room to breathe is probably the most accurate way to say it. I like to say that the long-range goal is to follow Kirkman's path that he laid out, which is a tremendous template. That's the path of what we're doing, but we're going to take as many detours along the way as we can.
- The Terminator and Aliens producer Gale Anne Hurd is also producing The Walking Dead and spoke to AMCTVblog about the similarities between the experiences.
I think what our series shares in common with those films in particular is that the best genre films are character driven. And while they have an intriguing premise and terrific special effects, at the end of the day they're rooted in complex characters and great stories. At the same time, neither compromises on production value: Every eight days we shoot a miniature version of a tentpole movie. What's so wonderful about The Walking Dead is that we're able to explore human nature in its most depraved as well as its most humanitarian in each episode. We strip each character down to their most basic survival instincts — or lack thereof. It's actually the zombies who are the most predictable: You know what zombies are after. What you can't anticipate is how one surviving human is going to interact with another. And that's what keeps the series fresh and compelling.
Hurd agrees with comic book writer Robert Kirkman that the show should go on for 27 episodes.
Oh absolutely! He's sitting next to me right now, and we've talked about how our ensemble cast members either transcend or fall victim to their baser human instincts, so there's plenty of fodder for at least 27 seasons.
- We're not sure about 27 seasons, but a 2nd season seems like it's pretty much a done deal. Without making an official announcement, AMC is offering a chance to appear as a zombie in season two, which sure seems like Season Two is a go, or AMC is offering the shittiest sweepstakes ever.
Ever dreamed of being a zombie? Now's your chance, with AMC's The Walking Dead Sweepstakes. Submit the online form and you'll be entered in a random drawing to win a four-day, three-night trip to the location of The Walking Dead’s Season 2 production, plus the opportunity to become one of the undead in a Season 2 episode of The Walking Dead. (Exact specifics of the walk-on role will be determined at the producer’s sole discretion.) The sweepstakes will run from Tuesday, July 20, through Sunday, August 15. Entrants may enter the sweepstakes one time only throughout the entire sweepstakes period.
- FEARnet spoke to special effects artist Greg Nicotero and talked about the training he gave during his zombie school.
I put together a video with clips from Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead and REC and even Shaun of the Dead in there and said, “Okay, here’s some of the examples of what we’re looking for in terms of zombie performances.” Night on the Living Dead is the blueprint. That’s the reference we’re using. I’ve literally handpicked most of the zombies for every sequence because we’re going for a specific look and a specific portrayal. Our department is kind of like the 13th actor in the movie because the zombies have a presence. It’s always there and it’s always felt and that’s one of the things that Frank has loved about this project for years. He’s such a purist.
Nicotero mantains that the gore will represent, saying, "truthfully we haven't shied away from anything," and revealed that the show will be jam-packed with zombies. Kind of a "duh" on that one.
The Pilot, following the arc of the graphic novel, gets Rick (Andrew Lincoln) into Atlanta. The audience is discovering along with Rick that the world has basically become overrun with zombies. He doesn’t come across gigantic packs of zombies as he’s moving towards Atlanta, but once he gets into the city, everything changes. Episode Two picks up with Rick in Atlanta meeting the other characters. We’re in the middle of it. It was exhausting. We had 14 days to shoot the Pilot and then we had eight days to shoot Episode Two, which was a big, gigantic action episode where we’re introducing all the new characters as well as having them dispatch zombies. We literally worked 18 hours a day. It was exhausting. Thank God Episode Three was less zombie heavy.
- Apparently Nicotero cameos in the show as a zombie, and so will Walking Dead comic book artist Charlie Adlard, who mentioned his cameo on his website. Watch for him (if you know what he looks like)!
Ok, kids, that's the end of tday's round-up. We expect a lot of Walking Dead news from the Comic-Con, so this may be the first of a series.
