Greg Nicotero Says The Walking Dead Season 7 Gets A Lot Worse Before It Gets Better

How much worse can things really get for Rick Grimes and his group? To start the season, most of them will get a front row seat to witness Negan, the leader of the Saviors, bashing in the head of one of their own with his barbaric baseball bat, which he refers to as Lucille.

“I think it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better for our group, and it’s pretty intense,” Executive Producer Greg Nicotero told Deadline. “I mean, the show, we’re sort of opening a new chapter. I mean, it’s really, Rick is now, if you really think about his journey in the comic books, he shares the spotlight with Negan in the comic book. Negan now has some ownership over what the show is about. It’s the anticipation and the excitement of new worlds that we’re going to, like the Hilltop, like the Kingdom, like the Sanctuary where Negan lives. Everybody’s putting so much of their heart and soul into it. You know, after directing the premiere episode, I was f–ked up for two weeks, you know? I really felt like I dragged a lot of my dearest friends into these really deep, dark places shooting that episode, and it’s been definitely an experience unlike anything that I’ve ever handled before.”

If the show follows the comics, Negan will follow-up the head bashing by demanding a sizable portion of Alexandria’s supplies. Since supplies were drying up last season, forcing Rick to make a deal with the Hilltop Colony, Negan’s demands will push Rick to make new alliances to save his community.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, The Walking Dead reigns as television’s most watched drama for adults 18-49. The Walking Dead tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse, and follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home.

The series stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Steven Yeun as Glenn, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Chandler Riggs as Carl, Lauren Cohan as Maggie, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Melissa McBride as Carol, Sonequa-Martin Green as Sasha, Michael Cudlitz as Abraham, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan.

The Walking Dead is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse.

The seventh season of The Walking Dead will debut Sunday, October 23 at 9/8c on AMC.