The Walking Dead season 9 is official, AMC confirmed shortly before its presentation at today’s Television Critics Association press tour.
On one hand, this is not surprising news at all. AMC has been pretty open about its desire for The Walking Dead to run for as long as humanly possible – and then probably even after that. But with this announcement, AMC is also acknowledging some unexpected executive restructuring for the show.
Scott Gimple, the executive producer and showrunner since season 4 of the show, will not be around for season 9. Instead, he’ll be elevated to ‘Chief Content Officer,’ which sounds like it could just mean ‘Emperor of The Walking Dead Extended Universe.’
In a press release, AMC describes Gimple’s new role as “overseeing the entire “Dead” television universe, including The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead, and potential brand extensions on a variety of platforms.” That’s likely a smart move as The Walking Dead has become as much a global media brand for AMC as it is a television show.
“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 said via press release. “As the show closes in on its tenth year, I’m honoured 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.”
Longtime writer for the show Angela Kang will take over as showrunner, making her the fourth showrunner in Walking Dead history, following Frank Darabont, Glen Mazzara, and Gimple.
Kang will have a tall task in The Walking Dead season 9, shepherding a show that will be without…
…Carl Grimes for the first time in its history and maybe even Morgan, who is jumping ship to Fear The Walking Dead – though that could all be within flashback. She seems up for the challenge though.
“I am beyond thrilled to be stepping into this new role with The Walking Dead,” she said. “Working on this series and having the opportunity to adapt Robert Kirkman’s amazing comic has been a fangirl dream come true for me. 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 The Walking Dead eighth season starts on February 25th. Season 9 is likely to debut in October of 2018, following the show’s traditional schedule.