Variety.com have just reported that AMC is in talks to have Frank Darabont to write and direct a TV series adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s Zombie apocalypse saga The Walking Dead.

Frank Darabont is the multiple award-winning film director, screenwriter and producer behind the legendary movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile.

I am usually very wary of adaptations of comics, but a TV series would be the perfect way to go for the ongoing epic nature of The Walking Dead. I have lots of trust in Frank Darabont, and AMC is shaping up to be a great company, and is currently stealing HBO’s reputation as the place to go for more mature and cerebral drama series.

From Variety.com:

AMC is venturing into zombie-drama territory with multi-hyphenate Frank Darabont.

Cabler is close to finalizing one of the richest development deals ever with Darabont to write and direct a series adaptation of the Image Comics graphic novel series “The Walking Dead,” penned by Robert Kirkman. Gale Anne Hurd of Valhalla Pictures and David Alpert of Circle of Confusion are also on board to exec produce.

Project is set among a group of zombie survivors of an apocalypse who are led by a police officer, Rick Grimes, in search of a safe place to live. Numerous editions of the “Walking Dead” graphic novels have been published since 2003.

Joel Stillerman, AMC’s senior veep of programming, production and original content, said the project appealed to the cabler because of “the quality of the storytelling” in Kirkman’s work. The series will stay faithful to the tone of the original novels, he said.

“This is not about zombies popping out of closets,” Stillerman said. “This is a story about survival, and the dynamics of what happens when a group is forced to survive under these circumstances. The world (in ‘Walking Dead’) is portrayed in a smart, sophisticated way.”

Stillerman noted that the cabler’s annual “Fear Fest” movie showcase around Halloween is one of AMC’s most popular programming events of the year.

“We’ve got an audience that loves this kind of material,” he said.

Darabont and Hurd pitched the project to AMC and several other outlets. There is no studio attached yet. The duo’s involvement made the project a must-have for the cabler, Stillerman said.

“These are two world-class filmmakers who are also brilliant storytellers with experience in the fantasy genre,” he said.

Related posts:

1. The Walking Dead TV Pilot to Begin Shooting on May 15th bloody-disgusting.com has learned that the pilot episode of AMC’s live-action...
2. The Walking Dead Gets the Greenlight for a TV Series Pilot on AMC The news just came in from Image Comics confirming that...
3. Jonathan Ross’ and Tommy Lee Edwards’ Turf makes first appearance in The Walking Dead #70! From the press release: DEADLY TURF Jonathan Ross’ and Tommy...
4. Robert Kirkman and Image Comics to Appear at This Year’s ComicsPRO Meeting From the press release: Image Comics’ makes an exclusive appearance...
5. Top Cow Announces Pilot Season: Demonic by Robert Kirkman & Marc Silvestri Top Cow Productions have revealed details about the latest Pilot...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.