198 replies to this topic

[John Drew]

An AMC adaptation of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comics was announced sometime last year, and now casting has started. Frank Darabont is executive producer, and is also adapting and directing the pilot episode.

Hoolywood Repoter announces Walking Dead to be produced by AMC

Ghost Writer co-star joins AMC's Walking Dead

The Walking Dead wikipedia link.

[Overstreet]

Good. Maybe that will keep him from spending time on overrated, mediocre movies.

[Jason Panella]

AMC finally released the trailer for this (via AV Club): clickity click. (Warning — some cussin' and zombie gore-in')

I'm very familiar with the graphic novel it's based on, having read most of the trade collections. For a while, it was unstoppable: great writing, creepy black and white art, compelling story. The premise: what happens after the zombie outbreak? How do people survive? What good — and bad — traits come out in people?

After a while, the narrative took a huge, huge sadistic turn, and got impossibly bleak (moreso than it already was). But it seems like the show might use the characters and go off on its own route. Still, it looks great. I'm excited.

[Cunningham]

Very exciting.

[Thom Wade]

According to Darabont and Kirkman, they are using the series as a basic template, but will tell the stories in their own way for each season, diverging from the series so that everything is not simply stuff we have already read-true to the spirit of the series, but still being fresh for the fans.

[Jason Panella]

Nezpop, on 24 August 2010 - 02:03 PM, said:

According to Darabont and Kirkman, they are using the series as a basic template, but will tell the stories in their own way for each season, diverging from the series so that everything is not simply stuff we have already read-true to the spirit of the series, but still being fresh for the fans.

Which is definitely exciting.

I feel like the comic series hit a major snag when they introduced

Spoiler

The Governor. I was captivated with the characters and story up to that point, and I felt like it just unraveled quickly.

I keep poking around online to see what's happening in the series, though, hoping for something to lure me back in.

[Thom Wade]

As dark and bleak as it was, I bought into the story, because I could see people doing such things in a zombie apocalypse world. People do stuff that terrible without a zombie apocalypse. It's been a series that runs it characters through the ringer, and anyone can die, mortality is a part of their existence, even if mortality now has new meaning when the dead can walk. How far will people go for survival? The answer can be pretty bleak and scary.

[Jason Panella]

Nezpop, on 25 August 2010 - 10:55 AM, said:

As dark and bleak as it was, I bought into the story, because I could see people doing such things in a zombie apocalypse world. People do stuff that terrible without a zombie apocalypse. It's been a series that runs it characters through the ringer, and anyone can die, mortality is a part of their existence, even if mortality now has new meaning when the dead can walk. How far will people go for survival? The answer can be pretty bleak and scary.

No, I do agree about this — I love how unforgiving it is to its characters, and it is realistic in the sense that the people are their worst enemies, not the zombies.

Spoiler

Still, all of the stuff with Michonne and the Governor just made me sick to the stomach. The two-page spread of the Governor's tortured, mutilated body was....blargh. I guess that was the point, though?

I might pick it back up again soonish, though. Thinking about the show is making me think about the comic, which makes me want to read the comic.

[J.A.A. Purves]

[Thom Wade]

So, the first episode has not even aired and AMC has greenlit a second season. Guess they are confident.

[mrmando]

I've liked Lennie James ever since "Jericho" ...

Word has it that Tonio K's "The Funky Western Civilization" has been licensed for use somewhere in the series.

[jfutral]

My friend and business partner was the movement coach for "Zombie school"! Pretty cool that it isn't just the story that is based in Atlanta, they are filming here, too.

Joe

[Darryl A. Armstrong]

mrmando, on 02 September 2010 - 09:53 AM, said:

Word has it that Tonio K's "The Funky Western Civilization" has been licensed for use somewhere in the series.

Ooh! That's very cool.

[Gavin Breeden]

Now that Mad Men and Rubicon are done, I'm looking forward to this show starting up. Looks like I won't have time to read the comics before the show starts. Hopefully, one of you can let us know how faithfully the show follows the books...

Nice touch for this show to begin on Halloween.

[Jason Panella]

Gavin Breeden, on 22 October 2010 - 04:41 PM, said:

Now that Mad Men and Rubicon are done, I'm looking forward to this show starting up. Looks like I won't have time to read the comics before the show starts. Hopefully, one of you can let us know how faithfully the show follows the books...

Well, at the VERY least, it looks like the pilot film is incredibly faithful to the first couple of issues. I'm curious to see where it goes from there.

Both this and Game of Thrones intrigue me, and not only because they're based on series that I enjoy — neither written series is complete.

[John Drew]

Don't want to start an entire new thread on the other zombie TV event that is being shown tonight, so I'll just post here.

IFC is showing the British miniseries Dead Set, a riff on reality TV and zombie films. Apparently, a zombie outbreak has begun decimating Britain, and the only people not aware of the situation are the contestants in the Big Brother house who, due to the rules, have no contact through any medium with the outside world. Could be worth a look. I plan to DVR this, and watch The Walking Dead.

[Cunningham]

Usually funny horror isn't that scary and scary horror isn't that funny, but Dead Set manages both very very well.

[Evan Day]

I just watched the first episode. It fulfilled my expectations.

I don't consider myself a huge fan of zombie films, but I have to admit they intrigue me. This seems to grasp what I really like about them. That said, the fact that they don't shy from gore and dark elements such as:

Spoiler

the hero shooting a little zombie girl in self defense. We don't even get a cut away.

...indicates this is going to hit a lot of people's "Oh gosh, that's too much" button at some point. The comics seemed to be the same way.

[Cunningham]

Did anyone else see this? I loved it - it really captured the desperation of the comics. I remember them getting *really* dark a couple of volumes in though. The first episode suggests that the "tv-makers" (what is the TV analogue of film-makers?) might be willing to go there though. This is going to be a great series I think. I just hope that the audience is up for it.

[Jason Panella]

I really, really want to see this. The positive reviews are exciting, and make me want to revisit the comics (I initially loved them, but eventually became staggered by the bleakness). That said, I'm considering downloading it via Amazon or iTunes, but their restrictive DRM rules are off-putting.

I'll get to it somehow. Eventually.