AMC confirmed the zombie apocalypse drama The Walking Dead has been renewed for a ninth season. The network also announced Angela Kang, a The Walking Dead writer since 2011, has been promoted to executive producer and showrunner for the upcoming ninth sesason. Kang’s taking over for showrunner Scott M. Gimple who will now be the Chief Content Officer in charge of The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and other potential Dead platforms.
The Walking Dead is cable’s highest rated series and ranked as the #1 show on television for the last six seasons, according to AMC. Season nine will debut sometime in late 2018.
“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,” stated Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. “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 said. “As the show closes in on its tenth 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 fangirl dream come true for me,” said 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 season eight of The Walking Dead is set to premiere on February 25, 2018. The cast includes Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Alanna Masterson, Josh McDermitt, Seth Gilliam, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Tom Payne, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Austin Amelio, and Lennie James.
