Andrew Lincoln Is More Ready To Film The Walking Dead Season 8 Than Ever

Heading into production of The Walking Dead‘s seventh season, the cast and crew had to prepare themselves for the brutal days of filming Abraham and Glenn’s deaths to carry out Negan‘s introductory scene. Rick would be humiliated and broken throughout that first episode as the core cast was forced into the darkest emotional corners of their being.

When the cameras start rolling on Season 8 of the AMC series, the cast members who have been with the show for years now will be portraying very different versions of their characters. It is officially time for Rick’s group to rally with their surrounding communities and fight Negan’s Saviors.

Rick actor Andrew Lincoln is more excited to begin production on the show’s eighth season, which begins with the series’ 100th episode, than anyone else.

“I’m more excited, my friend,” Lincoln told ComicBook.com. “I’m more excited about this season than ever and this is not – I’m not blowing smoke up anybody – this is so real. I am ready to go. I can’t wait. It’s going to be insane this season.”

While Lincoln can’t disclose any plot details just yet — quite possibly because he doesn’t have them — he went on to call the season a myriad of adjectives, with “scary,” “big,” and “extraordinary” being among them.

“This is when we do a panel, I look to my right and let Scott Gimple answer that,” Lincoln said. “I know, you know, that we are going to have to come and bring one of the greatest episodes we’ve ever attempted, and we’re going to start the season with it. And, it will be the hundredth episode, which is one of the greatest. I never thought when we started this thing seven years ago – eight years ago it will be when we air. And, I never thought that we would get to, you know – I was very happy with one season. I was very happy with the pilot. Let alone, a hundred episodes, a hundred hours more because of the extended slaves. It’s a huge milestone and, you know, it will be a big deal because there’s a lot of the crew and a few of the cast left that have trudged all of those hard and sweaty and bloody miles together. So, it’s a huge achievement and I know I’m sure, Scott Gimple, four years ago, had it planned that we would be starting a full-scale war on the hundredth episode. I like to think he’s that much of a boy scout: always prepared.”

Season 8 of The Walking Dead is set to begin production within the next three weeks.

MORE WALKING DEAD: TWD Actor Teases Epic Return From Season 1 / Five Comic Book Moments Coming In Season 8 / Why Rick Will Never Bow To Negan Again / When Does TWD Season 8 Premiere? / Three Things TWD’s Time Jump Will Skip / Why TWD Changed An Iconic Comic Death For Finale

The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer will arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.