That The Walking Dead will return for a ninth season is no surprise: despite some recent ratings wobbles, it remains a mammoth hit and is clearly ready to run as long as possible. But while Rick Grimes and co. will still be battling walkers and the worst that humanity has to offer later this year, there will be someone new calling the shots, head chops and deaths: Angela Kang.
A writer on the show since 2011 and a co-executive producer since 2013, Kang will take over from current show-runner Scott Gimple. He, in turn, is being made something called the Chief Content Officer for the Walking Dead universe, having input onto the main show, Fear The Walking Dead and anything else that comes along to keep the franchise moving. Which is likely a reaction to comic book creator and show executive producer Robert Kirkman making a production deal elsewhere.
"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," says Gimple. "As the show closes in on its tenth 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," adds Kang. "Working on this series and having the opportunity to adapt Robert Kirkman’s amazing comic has been a fangirl dream come true for me. 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."
If it keeps to its usual schedule, Season 9 will be on screens in the States and here in October.
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