The Walking Dead lives to see another day, ladies and gentlemen! AMC has renewed the zombie drama for a tenth season, per The Hollywood Reporter. It’s hard to believe that we’re approaching season 10, considering all the changes the show has undergone. Not only have ratings been slipping, but the series also lost its lead actor, Andrew Lincoln, in season 9.
Lincoln played the forever conflicted Rick Grimes, and while he’s off the show, his character will live on in made-for-TV movies. Then, behind the scenes, Angela Kang took over the role of showrunner from Scott M. Gimple. She’ll continue in that position for season 10.
With Lincoln out, Norman Reedus, who plays the ruggishly handsome Daryl Dixon, will be taking over as number 1 on the call sheet. That doesn’t come as a huge shock considering how popular Daryl and Reedus have always been.
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Most of the cast members still remaining are striking lucrative deals, including Melissa McBride, who plays Carol “just look at the flowers” Peletier. Per THR, her deal guarantees that she’ll be paid around $20 million for three years of work even if Carol is relocated to another part of AMC’s Walking Dead universe or written off completely. Sounds pretty solid to us!
Let’s dig a little deeper. Reedus is estimated to be making around $350,000 per episode, and that’s on top of advances and more incentives that THR’s sources think are worth between $50-$90 million!
Intriguingly, the details of Danai Gurira’s deal haven’t yet been decided. She’s broken out in a big way with her roles in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, so her negotiations will probably last longer. (And remember, she’s one of the few heroes who didn’t turn into a cloud of dust at the end of Infinity War, meaning she’ll probably be in Endgame, meaning her negotiating position is even stronger.) Does this mean Michonne could follow Rick off the show? Then there’s Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene). She’s also departed from the series due to salary negotiations and will soon be starring in the new ABC drama Whiskey Cavalier.
So there’s a whole lot up in the air right now, to the point where we’re a little surprised AMC would renew the show rather than cut its losses and end it with the second half of season 9, which premieres this Sunday. It’s time to meet the Whisperers, folks!
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