THE WALKING DEAD: New Cast and Crew Interviews

While everyone's awaiting THE WALKING DEAD's season 2 premiere on October 16, CBR was able to discuss the future of the show with cast and crew. With the recent departure of Frank Darabont, the show's head producer and writer, still fresh on everyone's mind, many people doubt the show's ability to continue.

WITH CHRISTMAS AND BOTH PLAYOFFS AND THE SUPERBOWL, AND WE'LL NOW BE AIRING AT 9PM, WE FELT AND AMC ALSO FELT THAT IT WAS BEST TO HAVE THE FIRST FEW EPISODES THIS FALL AND THEN PICK UP AFTER THE SUPERBOWL.

[THE NOVEL] IS BASED IN THE COMIC BOOK CONTINUITY, SO THE NOVEL IS A PRECURSOR TO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COMIC BOOK SERIES AND IS ONLY RELATED TO THE SHOW IN THAT IT'S THE SAME UNIVERSE AS THE COMIC

WE HAVE BEEN PLAYING A LITTLE BIT WITH WHAT ZOMBIES DO WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT AROUND. I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THEY EITHER JUST SIT AROUND OR THEY GO SOMEWHERE NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY'RE GOING, AND WE'RE PLAYING WITH THAT

I THINK THERE'S BEEN ALL THIS CONCERN THAT I'M GOING TO [frick] UP THE SHOW. I BELIEVE IN FRANK, FRANK'S A TALENTED INDIVIDUAL. I THINK HE'S A TERRIFIC GUY WHO WAS A MENSCH TO ME AND I REALLY LOVED WORKING WITH HIM. I THINK PART OF THE REASON WE'VE HAD SUCH A SMOOTH TRANSITION IS THAT IT'S A FULLY ARTICULATED WORLD, BOTH COMING FROM THE COMIC AND WHAT FRANK AND EVERYBODY HERE HAS BEEN ABLE TO PUT ON SCREEN.

THERE'S NO PLAN TO DEVIATE FROM WHAT WE WORKED OUT, THERE'S NO DIFFERENT VISION OF THE SHOW.

LET ME BE HONEST, IT WAS ROUGH. I WENT IN THERE WHEN EVERYTHING WENT DOWN THAT WEEK AND I MET WITH THE CAST AND THAT WAS TOUGH. I JUST SPOKE TO THEM HONESTLY AND SAID, AT SOME POINT, THERE'S GOING TO BE MATERIAL THAT'S GOING TO FEEL DIFFERENT. I THINK THE SHOW WOULD FEEL INAUTHENTIC IF I TRIED TO MIMIC FRANK'S VOICE. I'M NOT FRANK DARABONT. I SHOULDN'T TRY TO BE AND I THINK THAT WOULD HURT THE SHOW.

WHEN THEY STOOD BEHIND ME, IT REALLY FELT LIKE THEY WERE INVESTED AND SAYING, 'OK, THIS IS CONFUSING BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE THIS WORK. WERE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. IT WASN'T LIKE THIS WAS A PALACE REVOLT. FRANK BLESSED GLEN AS SHOWRUNNER AND MADE IT CLEAR TO THE CAST AND CREW THAT HE HAD HIS BLESSING, SO THAT I THINK ASSUAGED EVERYONE'S CONCERN.

I THINK IT WAS A HARD PUNCH TO TAKE, BUT WE'RE MOVING ON AND FOCUSING ON THE WORK.

HE KEEPS US ALL CALM; FILMING A SHOW LIKE THIS THERE IS ALWAYS A CRISES WHETHER IT'S WEATHER, WHETHER ITS TICKS, WHETHER IT'S HOW MANY MORE EPISODES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN THE WOODS -- HIS ABILITY TO KEEP EVERYTHING CALM AND RUNNING WELL IS GREAT

I'M SUCH A GIANT 'SHIELD' FAN THAT I JUST KEEP ASKING HIM QUESTIONS ABOUT 'THE SHIELD. BUT THE TRUTH IS, HAVING THAT SORT OF HISTORICAL TV EXPERIENCE, WHERE YOU KNOW HOW TO RUN A SHOW, UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS INSIDE AND OUT AND HAVING DONE IT IN SUCH A SUCCESSFUL WAY, FOR ME, IT'S JUST BEEN AN AMAZING LEARNING EXPERIENCE.