Worrying news from the world of THE WALKING
DEAD. Showrunner Frank Darabont (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) has stepped down
from his role – mid way through the second season shoot.
But the show must go on as they say, with
reports that Darabont’s Executive Producer Glen Mazzara will step in as his
replacement . As for the reason why Darabont made the
sudden decision to leave – and anyone who’s seen him on beaming with enthusiasm
on recent promo duties can attest it was sudden, (that or he’s a better actor
than any of his cast!) – nobody knows for sure. The closest anyone has gotten to a
theory is that the acclaimed film director never quite adjusted to the pace and demands
of the TV format. Sources also point to last year’s decision from the director
to fire the show’s writing staff in favour of freelancers, though that has continually
been downplayed as less dramatic as it sounds by both Darabont and creator
Robert Kirkman.
What does it mean for the future of the
show? In my opinion, the differences won’t likely be that noticeable. Unlike a
TV series like BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, or LOST, where the showrunner(s) were
the voice of the characters, and gods over the storylines, THE WALKING DEAD is
driven by an existing source material. Those characters will live on with
regardless of who presides over them. And Glen Mazzara has high credentials
indeed, having worked for years on FX’s cult cop show THE SHIELD, so it’s
unlikely we’ll see much drop-off in quality. In fact, this shake-up might
arguably be better for the future of the show. As great as Frank Darabont is as
a filmmaker, what was the number one complaint fans had towards that first
season? The pacing was slower than that leg-less ‘Walker’ Rick had to shoot in the face in episode 1 – “I’m sorry this happened to you”… but that’s the job of the showrunner
to sort.
(Seen THE WALKING DEAD Season 2 trailer yet? Check it here, it’ll cheer you right up).
I am talking nonsense? Does Darabont’s
exit mean the show will suffer? Will THE WALKING DEAD ever be the same? Or is
it all gravy? Either way, let us know with your comments below!
