Tag Archives: The Walking Dead

Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ sets the tone in 4 minute season 4 trailer

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The Walking Dead premiered a four-and-a-half minute trailer for its coming fourth season. Did you get that? Sitting right there above these words is a video that contains over four minutes of brand spankin’ new footage. Go on, mash play! I’ll be here when you’re finished.

Freakin’ awesome, huh? With more hands to help fresh off the bus from Woodbury, the prison is as fortified as ever and yet the zombies break in still. Looks like we have a mole, somebody who doesn’t want our heroes to survive. “We might be safer outside those walls,” says a suspicious Hershel. What’s really great about this extended trailer is that it manages to set the tone of the new season without spoiling the goods. So if that’s what you’re worried about, don’t be; this is a safe watch that successfully hypes what’s to come in terms of mood, not so much plot. I’m getting a watch-your-back, paranoia-type vibe here; what about you?

Now what was learned at the panel? First, The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, October 13 at 9PM followed by Talking Dead with host Chris Hardwick. Just like last season, this one will be split in two; eight episodes will air in the fall and after a hiatus AMC will air another eight starting in February 2014–16 eps in all.

Andrew Lincoln shared a change in his character that fans will notice in season 4. “The relationship with Carl is integral to the beginning of this season,” he said. “Carl turning into a sociopath at the end of last season definitely woke [Rick] up.” Rick will no longer serve as the leader of the group and we’ll find him “in a completely new place; he’s renounced a lot of his responsibilities for the sake of his children.”

And what of The Governor, who mysteriously does not appear in the trailer. “At the end of last season, he was in a very dark place—but he feels like they betrayed them and that’s just not going to go down with the Governor,” his portrayer David Morrissey said. “There was a switch in him, and now we see him dealing with what that switch is; what is it that makes that switch go down?”

Check out the Comic Con exclusive Walking Dead poster featuring Rick, Daryl, Tyrese, and Michonne after the jump. Continue reading Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ sets the tone in 4 minute season 4 trailer →

‘The Walking Dead’ season 4 premiere names its writer and director

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When The Walking Dead returns to AMC this fall, the season 4 opener promises to be one special episode. It is written by new showrunner Scott Gimple (who previously wrote last season’s gem “Clear,” the one where Rick finds Morgan) and directed by the show’s zombie-maker Greg Nicotero. Such a collaboration should have fans salivating for the fourth season premiere. Watch a clip announcing the news above; unfortunately it does not contain new footage but fans can expect that next month at the show’s hyped Comic Con panel.

‘The Walking Dead’ finale sees new ratings record, preview season 4 here!

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The Walking Dead season 3 finale on March 31 managed to break a new ratings record for the cable hit. 12.4 million viewers tuned into the final episode of the season which saw the death of a major character. The previous record-holding episode was the February 10 midseason premiere which garnered 12.3 million viewers–the finale just beat it out. 6.8 million in the coveted 18-49 demo watched this episode, another all-time high for the series.

AMC president Charlie Collier: “Two words: Grateful. Dead. It’s a joy that we get to work with such tremendous talent to makeThe Walking Dead and Talking Dead come to life for audiences that continue to engage and grow. In just three seasons, The Walking Dead has become a pop-culture phenomenon, entertaining millions of passionate viewers and obliterating traditional lines between cable and broadcast television.”

Now check out this preview of season 4 which is set to debut on AMC in October. Though you won’t find new footage, you will hear tantalizing tidbits from the show’s producers and stars. “There’s a broader, bigger world out there. Now that we’ve introduced that there are more survivors out there, it’s only going to get more and more interesting,” says EP David Alpert. “We will be getting into more world building, more civilization being brought back, more of a bigger sense of community,” spills EP and Walking Dead comic book creator Robert Kirkman. “The Governor is still out there. The war is not over,” shares EP Denise Huth. Fans can also expect more transformation out of trigger-happy Carl. “Is Carl going to be Rick? Or is Carl going to be The Governor? Right now it can go either way,” posits Huth.

TV reminder: ‘The Walking Dead’ resumes tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: record ratings]

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War is brewing. It’s Rick and his Prison pack versus The Governor and the wily town of Woodbury. Before The Walking Dead‘s midseason break, Rick infiltrated Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie who had been kidnapped by Merle. Rick’s ambush was a success and his nemesis The Governor (who he hasn’t even met yet!) came out of it all with vengeance on his mind. Michonne killed his zombie daughter Penny right in front of him and then she gauged one his eyes out. (I think it’s now safe to say that The Governor will never see eye-to-eye with anyone from here on out.) The major cliffhanger, of course, was the surprising reunion of the Dixon brothers under not-so-ideal terms; The Governor blames Rick’s attack on the one-handed Merle, after all, because he had lied about taking out Michonne in the woods.

What will be the fate of the Dixons? What is Rick’s next move and will he continue to lose his mind during a strenuous time when he needs it most? Which side will Andrea end on when the dust settles; will she choose to stick with the one-eyed (don’t-call-him-Phillip) Governor or return to her original group at the Prison? After her battle with The Governor Michonne’s wasn’t acting like herself–has she gone soft? How will the latest addition to our group Tyrese factor into it all? The Walking Dead resumes the second half of its 16-episode third season tonight (2/10) at 9PM on AMC. Watch a preview here. The Talking Dead–now in a one-hour format airing immediately after TWD with special guests Steven Yeun and Kevin Smith–follows.

Note: Since Dead has been on hiatus, news broke that for the second time the series’ showrunner is departing. Like Frank Darabont before him, Glen Mazzara is leaving the show due to creative differences. However, you should know that Mazzara had his hand in the making of the back half of this season. His successor Scott M. Gimple (the show’s supervising producer/writer) takes the reins during the production of season 4.

Update (2/11): Back from another break and The Walking Dead reaches a new series high in ratings. Sunday night’s midseason premiere drew 12.3 million viewers, besting the previous record holder that was the season 3 premiere (that episode garnered 10.9 million viewers). Across the first 9PM airing and the three encores that AMC showed Sunday night, the midseason premiere attracted a grand total of 16.6 million viewers. That’s huge people.

“When you look at numbers like this, the first thing that comes to mind is how grateful we are to the fans of this show,” said AMC president Charlie Collier. “They embrace The Walking Dead in a way that we wanted to believe was possible but we never take for granted.The cast and crew put everything they have into making this show. They’re a phenomenally talented group who truly give their all. We congratulate everyone involved.”

TV teasers: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3.5

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The second half of The Walking Dead season 3 is set to debut February 10 and AMC is building up to that day with a couple new teasers that feature new, exciting material. In the 30-second spot above, Rick and The (one-eyed) Governor anticipate war. After the break, a slightly longer clip reveals (don’t call him) Phillip’s plan to release Andrea back into Rick’s camp at the prison. After watching, you’re gonna wish it was Feb. 10 tomorrow. Continue reading TV teasers: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3.5 →

AMC picks up ‘The Walking Dead’ for a fourth season, showrunner Glen Mazzara will not return

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First, the good news: The Walking Dead is coming back for a fourth cycle next year, obviously, since it has been maintaining record high ratings all season long. And now, the hauntingly disconcerting news: Showrunner Glen Mazzara will not be involved in the making of season four and beyond. When the second half of season three wraps he’s stepping down as showrunner due to creative differences. Typically Dead is renewed for a new season shortly after its record-breaking ratings are posted following  a season premiere, but this year the news came later and the decision to let Mazzara go was most likely the major holdup here. A series of released statements from Mazzara, the cable network that airs the show AMC, Dead creator Robert Kirkman, and executive producer Gale Anne Hurd make it sound as if the parting of ways was amicable, but industry sources say Mazzara was not enjoying his time at the helm of the show as of late. The statements can be read in full after the break.

I say this is disconcerting news because it has happened before. Series developer Frank Darabont exited the show on less “amicable” terms early in season 2, also due to creative differences with the network. The Walking Dead started off strong in its abbreviated debut season, the action slowed down when the farm was introduced in season two, and when Darabont handed the reins to Mazzara things kicked into high gear and never looked back. The current season is arguably the best one yet, and fans have Mazzara’s touch to thank for that. How will the show forge on without him come season four? It managed to reach new heights when Darabont left so it’s still fair to believe that the show will continue to see success with a new showrunner at the helm (the search is on); Kirkman and Hurd–executive producers who have their hands firmly planted in the show’s creative department aren’t going anywhere. But still (and I’m going to use this word one more time) it’s extremely disconcerting, for the team behind the show and viewers alike, to see The Walking Dead be handed off from one showrunner to the next. A show with this magnitude of ratings (and recently creative) success doesn’t deserve to be shaken up so much on such a regular basis. In the end this may really hurt the show in terms of its overall direction and sense of cohesion.

Mazzara’s vision of The Walking Dead continues when it returns with new episodes Sunday, February 10. Continue reading AMC picks up ‘The Walking Dead’ for a fourth season, showrunner Glen Mazzara will not return →

TV reminder: ‘The Walking Dead’ premieres tonight at 9PM on AMC [Update: The ratings are in…]

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Michonne. The Governor. Woodbury. The prison. There has been so much excitement about what’s coming next on The Walking Dead and now the time has finally arrived to regroup with Rick and our gang of zombie apocalypse survivors. Eye this season’s key art above that features Rick Grimes front and center (once again) atop an overturned bus outside the zombie-infested prison. Gotta love the tagline: “Fight the dead. Fear the living.” Next dive in the galleries below to view character profiles and pictures from tonight’s season premiere, “Seed.”

The Walking Dead premieres tonight (10/14) at 9PM on AMC. And don’t forget to tune into Talking Dead immediately following the episode; host Chris Hardwick will be talking to showrunner Glen Mazzara and Michonne–er, Danai Gurira.

Ramp up anticipation by watching the season 3 trailer a couple more times. It’s that good.

Update: Get used to it–AMC’s The Walking Dead shatters records when it premieres. 10.9 million viewers tuned into the season three premiere last night; that’s up 50 percent from the season two opener. It also performed extremely well in the two coveted demos; in adults 18-49 it attracted 7.3 million viewers (up 52 percent from the season two premiere) and in adults 25-54 it attracted 6.1 million viewers (up 46 percent). If you include the two encore airings of the episode, a grand total of 15.2 million people saw “Seed.” The show managed to garner this many viewers while Dish subscribers were left out in the cold due to a contract dispute. AMC can rightfully boast that last night’s return of The Walking Dead is most-watched drama telecast in basic cable history and in the 18-49 demo it is the highest-rated series this fall–including cable and broadcast offerings. Hats off to the zombies. I don’t think you’ll ever have to tell this show to break a leg going into a premiere. Oops, sorry Hershel…too soon?

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[Images via AMC]

‘Walking Dead’ webisodes are back!

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The return of The Walking Dead may be a little over a week away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your zombie fill right now. The show’s makeup and special FX expert Greg Nicotero is back directing a new batch of Walking Dead webisodes. The four-part web series is titled Cold Storage and it follows Josh Stewart (No Ordinary Family) as Chase, a man trying to make his way to his sister in the early days of the zombie apocalypse. Thanks to some nasty walkers, he is forced to make a pit stop at a storage facility controlled by a guy (Lost‘s Daniel Roebuck) who thinks he has it all figured out.

“It’s such a thrill to revisit the The Walking Dead world from a new perspective and tell a bit of a darker story this time around with the webisodes,” said Nicotero. “We had a terrific cast, and once again the crew came up with some killer walker gags and visual effects. This year there’s a clear nod to the ‘show’ but our story could definitely exist on it’s own as the ‘what if’ story of The Walking Dead.”

Here are direct links to the four gory, suspenseful installments that make up Cold Storage:

PART 1 // PART 2 // PART 3 // PART 4

The Walking Dead returns with all-new episodes October 14 on AMC.

Comic Con 2012: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3 trailer inside

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The Walking Dead returns October 14 at 9PM on AMC. And here’s your very first look at season three! While Rick and his gang attempt to penetrate the prison merely teased at the end of last season, Andrea and Michonne are captured by next season’s villain known as The Governor and are brought to a town called Woodbury. There will come a time when these storylines cross and Rick will face off with The Governor as our hero won’t easily give up their newfound home. “I’m not giving up this prison. We took it, it’s ours. We split blood. If we see you out here, anywhere near our people, I’ll kill you,” snarls a gruffy Rick Grimes. Speaking of appearances, you’ll surely notice that Rick is overdue for a haircut and shave and the former goes for his son Carl too; and old man Hershel is rocking one helleva white beard. What else? David Morrissey’s Governor comes off as an inviting fellow in this teaser; obviously everything is not as it seems here. “I don’t trust him,” Michonne whispers to Andrea in that perfect little town of his. And then, at the very end, Merle returns in the flesh this time. Dontcha like what he did with his stub?

Jump after the break to see The Walking Dead Comic Con banner. It features Rick with a hoard of zombies creeping behind him, Michonne with her zombie slaves wielding her katana sword, and The Governor offering his hand with that mysterious helicopter flying in the skies above him. “May-day, May-day!” the soldiers controlling the ‘copter scream in the clip. Is it the same one Rick saw recently? The questions pile on as anticipation ramps up like never before. Is it October yet? Continue reading Comic Con 2012: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3 trailer inside →

‘The Walking Dead’ marathons this weekend with a peek at season 3

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Do you need your Walking Dead fix? This weekend is your antidote. Over the course of two days, AMC will be re-airing the first two seasons of The Walking Dead. The marathon begins Saturday, July 7 at 11:30AM and all nineteen episodes will have been played come Sunday night at 8PM. What happens after that? A very special edition of Talking Dead will air Sunday at 9PM and host Chris Hardwick will tease fans with a glimpse into season three including a scene from the new season, a tour of the new set (the prison!), and interviews with the cast, executive producers, and celebrity fans. And that’s not all. Following the marathon and Talking Dead, AMC will screen the pilot episode “Days Gone By” in black-and-white! Before the show premiered in October 2010, executive producer Robert Kirkman experimented with the black-and-white formula because that is how he tells the zombie saga in his comic books. View a full schedule of the two-day ‘thon right here.

While the popcorn’s popping, here’s a season 3 sneak peek for you to gaze upon. Open the gallery below to view pictures of the mysterious Michonne (played by Danai Gurira) and The Governor (David Morrissey); also bunched in there is yet another still of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) pointing his gun menacingly (also seen above) and (spoiler alert!) the return of Daryl’s racist, one-handed brother Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker). The cherries on top are two images provided by EW: one that features our gang of survivors fending off a hoard of walkers as a unit Avengers-style and the other starring Maggie (Lauren Cohan) doing her best karate chop with a sharp machete.

Dead heads rejoice. This is your time.

[Via TWD 1, 2]

First look: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3

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The first thing Walking Dead fans are used to seeing before the start of a new season is a graphic production still of Greg Nicotero’s spectacular zombies. This time around, however, we get a two-and-a-half minute clip! Though it’s not all that revealing in terms of plot, some things are said that are worth mulling over here. As we know, Michonne and The Governor will be introduced in season 3, and the action will take place at a fortified prison. Lauren Cohan (who plays Maggie) says, “From the beginning of this you see completely changed characters.” Laurie Holden (Andrea) teases, “We have the introduction of new characters, some that have been announced, some that have not.” Norman Reedus (Daryl) says that in season 3 “People start losing their minds, love blossoms, and a whole lot of awesome zombie kills [will take place].” Andrew Lincoln (Rick) sums it all up nicely: “The pace of it is darker, harder, faster, deeper.”

From the farm to the prison, The Walking Dead returns this fall on AMC. Bonus! Jump after the break to get a first look at Danai Gurira as the katana sword-wielding Michonne. Continue reading First look: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3 →