Jan. 13 (UPI) — AMC says it has ordered a ninth season of its zombie-apocalypse drama “The Walking Dead” to premiere in late 2018.
Current showrunner Scott M. Gimple is being elevated as the franchise’s chief content officer and will oversee the Dead television universe, including “The Walking Dead,” “Fear the Walking Dead” and potential spinoffs.
Angela Kang, who has been a writer on “TWD” since 2011 and co-executive producer since 2013, is being promoted to executive producer and showrunner of the flagship series, starting with Season 9.
“This is an enormously important day for the entire ‘The Walking Dead’ television universe. We are proud to acknowledge Angela’s significant contribution to the series and to set a clear path forward for a ninth season under her direction. Further, with gratitude and admiration, we also recognize Scott’s broad impact on, and leadership of, the content that fuels our ‘TWD’ universe. Together, we will dream bigger and more broadly than ever before,” Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios, said in a statement Saturday. “I know I speak for Angela, Scott and everyone at AMC when I say thanks most of all to the fans and the many talented people who have helped AMC play ‘Dead.'”
“‘The Walking Dead’ is a special show which started in an entirely different era of TV, and continues, in this new era, to confidently take chances to tell compelling stories that excite audiences and make them deeply connect with its characters, adapting Robert Kirkman’s brilliant comic book,” Gimple added.
“As the show closes in on its 10th year, I’m honored to keep working with the talented, dedicated people behind and in front of the camera to make it all it can be, while expanding the world of The Walking Dead with new narratives like ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and a whole host of truly cool stories ahead. Angela is a big part of the heart and soul of ‘The Walking Dead,’ and I’m thrilled to help facilitate her vision of the show’s next era.”
“I am beyond thrilled to be stepping into this new role with ‘The Walking Dead.’ Working on this series and having the opportunity to adapt Robert Kirkman’s amazing comic has been a fan-girl dream come true for me,” remarked Kang. “I’m excited to continue working with Scott and the wonderfully supportive folks at AMC, and can’t wait to share the next chapter of the story with our fans next fall.”
The second half of “TWD” Season 8 is to debut Feb. 25.
