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As The Walking Dead begins its seventh season this month on AMC, it’s natural to start wondering how long it can last. Greg Nicotero recently spoke on that topic.
The show has already been renewed for an eighth season to start next fall, so we have that much at least. But once a show reaches a certain age, fans naturally begin to wonder if the end is near.
The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has said he knows how the comic book will end. Recently, he revealed that the show will have a different ending, though.
Image Credit: AMC
An Obligation to the Fans
Executive producer and visual effects supervisor Greg Nicotero talked to ComicBook.com about the show’s longevity.
“We feel like we have an obligation to our fans and it’s a really great feeling to know that people want us to take them on this journey,” Nicotero said. “That’s what we were saying about the finale before, that some people were a bit upset about it. It’s like, you know, that’s the story that we want to tell. That’s the journey that we want to take people on.”
A Storyteller’s Greatest Gift
Last season’s finale was controversial, but it’s doubtful that the show will lose too many fans over it. True Walking Dead fanatics will stick with the show and return to see what happens next.
“People really love being on this journey and that’s important and it’s exciting to be seven years in, now eight, to be able to continue to tell our story and have people want to know what’s going to happen next,” Nicotero said. “It’s the greatest gift you can give any storyteller. Which is to say yeah we want to know what happens next. It’s great. I’m proud and delighted to be able to continue to tell this story because we’ve got a lot more story to tell.”
Recent rumors have suggested the show may be introducing the Whisperers. In the comics, the cult group didn’t show up until long after Negan came onto the scene. It’s possible the reason for introducing them now is so the show can catch up more quickly with the comic book. That way if the show ends after Season 8 or sometime closely after that, it will have covered most of the same ground.
Paying Tribute to the Fans
Nicotero said it’s the dedication of the fans that keep the cast and crew going.
“We still show up every day like it’s day one,” Nicotero said. “I think that is a tribute to every single person on this crew to be able to show up to work as if it’s their first day with the same level of commitment and enthusiasm. Listen, it’s been a tough season. Going through what we we’ve gone through and feeling that pressure to make sure that we are paying tribute to our actors and paying tribute to the fans and continuing to give them a story that they like. It’s not easy. It’s definitely not easy.”
The Walking Dead Season 7 begins on Sunday, October 24 at 9/8c on AMC.
Image Credit: AMC
