Frank Darabont Leaves The Walking Dead

Update: Deadline reports that Glen Mazzara will be taking over the show.

Ready for a shock? Frank Darabont is reportedly leaving The Walking Dead. Deadline is telling us that the creator/executive producer/director of AMC’s hit show is stepping down as the showrunner. Apparently, he may be off the show completely but according to Deadline, the network is trying to convince him to stay on board in some capacity.

The reason for his departure, he couldn’t adapt to “the daily grind of producing a TV series.” Glen Mazzara, who is currently the #2 on the show, may take over Darabont’s role although at this point, it’s not confirmed. That being said, Mazzara has a lot of experience under his belt, notably with shows like The Shield and Life so he probably could effectively run the show.

Admittedly, this is a bit of a shocker as The Walking Dead is currently one of television’s top shows. It is doing well with both critics and audiences and I’m very surprised to hear that Darabont is walking away.

Perhaps he has bigger and better things planned, maybe he’s hoping to return to feature films, which would be fantastic. Whatever the real reason is for his departure, I’m sure that the show will still continue to do well and hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to see what Darabont is up to.

Season 2 of The Walking Dead will premiere on October 16th.