Ahead of its presentation at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, AMC renewed its original drama series The Walking Dead for a ninth season, which will premiere later in 2018.
Today's renewal comes with some significant behind-the-scenes changes. Scott M. Gimple - who has been showrunner on the drama since the fourth season - has been promoted to chief content officer for the entire franchise. He will oversee the original show, the spinoff Fear the Walking Dead as well as gaming and future brand extensions on a variety of platforms. Angela Kang has been tapped to replace him as showrunner for the ninth season of The Walking Dead. She has been with the show as a writer since 2011.
"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," said 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," said Gimple. "As the show closes in on its 10th 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."
