One week before we find out which beloved character(s) Negan obliterated with Lucille, AMC has officially renewed The Walking Dead for an eighth season. The announcement was made at the beginning of a two-hour retrospective that aired tonight called The Walking Dead: The Journey So Far, which aims to catch fans up on the various plot threads in anticipation of the season 7 premiere.
“Eeny, meeny, miny, more,” said AMC president Charlie Collier in a statement which riffs on Negan's chilling method of choosing his victim. “What a joy to partner with Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple and some of the hardest-working people in television to bring The Walking Dead to the fans. And, most important, thanks to those fans for breathing life into this remarkable series right along with us.”
Season 8 will consist of 16 episodes, the first of which will be the 100th installment of the zombie drama series. No exact 2017 premiere date was specified, but it'll most likely be October. Current showrunner Scott Gimple is set to return.
Be sure to tune into the season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”, on October 23.