The Walking Dead is getting yet another season – surprised? Right now The Governor’s story arc is in full swing, cast members are going down left and right, Rick is going bananas – the survivor’s world is seriously going to hell. Like more than it already did. But as the drama and action builds, ratings continue to rise in parallel. The mid-season premiere on our ongoing season bested all other records previously held by Rick and the gang as the most watched premiere yet, so why the hell is a season 4 even breaking news?
More interesting is what the creative team will look like heading into season 4’s production when filming begins May 6th. We already know Glen Mazzara will be gone come season 3’s finale on March 31st, but now we know who will have their input on how The Walking Dead will shape up.
Writer Scott M. Gimple will be the lucky one running the show come season 4, and his promotion comes with a lot of excitement around the crew. Robert Kirkman had this to say about Gimple’s new role:
“Scott has been an essential part of this show since he came aboard at the very beginning of season two. He’s contributed to guiding this show in a substantial way that has resulted in a lot of the key scenes and storylines fans have dubbed signature moments of ‘The Walking Dead.’ I am thrilled to begin work on a brand new season of ‘The Walking Dead’ with Scott at the helm, and I truly believe we could be embarking on what will be the best season of this show yet.”
I mean what’s he going to say, right? “I don’t really like the guy, but a few others turned the job down, so we’re stuck with him.”
Gimple isn’t the only crew member taking on new responsibilities though. Producer Tom Luse and Co-Executive Producer/Special Effects Wizard Greg Nicotero are both being promoted to Executive Producer status after the two have been influential in the creation of The Walking Dead thus far. AMC’s Executive Vice President of Original Programming Joel Stillerman had this to say about the changes:
”Scott’s voice has been an integral one since he joined the show. Greg Nicotero is a true artist whose work is simply brilliant. And, Tom Luse has really created the machine that allows this very large show to get made week-to-week. We congratulate all three in their new roles on the series and look forward to ramping up production on season four.”
So to recap – we have Mazzara out for reasons still not solidified (although rumors are abundant), Scott M. Gimple taking over as showrunner, Greg Nicotero getting bumped to Executive Producer, and Tom Luse also joining Nicotero on the Executive Producer level. What does this mean for season 4? I’m not getting into that right now.
No really, I refuse to say anything about content because although I was enamored by where Mazzara took The Walking Dead when he stepped in for Darabont, I’m now finding myself laughing at the craziness overhaul Rick has been given, far beyond just hearing Lori’s voice on the phone. Wandering around the forest mumbling while chasing the ghost of his dead wife? Depending how season 3 finishes up, maybe a completely new team is what Robert Kirkman’s comic turned television supershow needs – or this might just be what Kirkman wanted. Only time will tell as we wait for season 4 to yet again spice up the Halloween season with more zombie killing antics and apocalyptic warriors.
