The Major Effects A Writers Strike Will Have On The Walking Dead Season 8

As the production start of The Walking Dead‘s gets closer, it is creeping up with with the threat of another writers’ strike.

The AMC series is set to begin production on its new batch of episodes on Tuesday, April 25. If an agreement between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers is not met by May 1, the strike will begin the following day. This would inevitably halt production on upcoming episodes of The Walking Dead and any other show set to shoot beyond that date.

Late night talk shows will switch into non-stop rerun mode, scripted dramas will be halted, and several effects of the strike will be felt across various media platforms.

What The Writers Want

The reason for the strike is the writers are not getting what they want.

The minds behind our favorite television series are looking for greater compensation for their efforts which has lessened as many shows have cut their episode numbers per season. Other issues such as health care benefits are also a factor. 

The last writers’ strike took place from November of 2007 through February of 2008. Shows like Lost and Breaking Bad were effected as both ended up having shorter than planned seasons. Lost pumped the brakes, going from 23/24 episodes per season down to 14 with its fourth while Breaking Bad’s premiere season was cut from nine episodes to seven.

Which suggests a scary scenario for The Walking Dead fans…

A Shorter Season

If the writers’ strike goes into effect and the AMC series is unable to film beyond its first couple of episodes at best, the production might have to adjust its episode count for Season 8.

Typically, The Walking Dead films from late April/early May through late October/early November. In that time, the show how been putting together 16 episodes which air in two halves, one running from October to December and the other from February to April. 

If The Walking Dead does not opt to film beyond November, which it may given the alternative winter weather conditions which would arise in their Georgia locations, the producers may elect to cut the episode count in favor of having any sort of season at all. There’s no telling how many episodes the show will be able to produce in 2017 if the strike lasts as long as it did in 2007-2008.

This would also mean a halt on promotional materials like trailers.

San Diego Comic Con

Season 8 of The Walking Dead is set to adapt one of the most beloved arcs in Robert Kirkman’s comics: All Out War.

Every summer, fans pack into San Diego Comic Con’s Hall H for a panel packed with The Walking Dead cast members which presents the first trailer for the upcoming season. After being screened in the panel for thousands of fans, the trailer is released online and the promotion train for The Walking Dead‘s new season leaves the station. 

Typically, the AMC series has filmed almost half of its season by the time the cast and crew head to San Diego Comic Con. The first few episodes largely comprise the trailer but it is a very really possibility that the show might not have anything beyond the first few days of production to share with fans by July if the writers don’t come to an agreement.

Updates

With The Walking Dead going into production in less than a week, we can expect some sort of update on whether or not the potential strike has updated their approach to filming new episodes.

The deadline for the strike is quickly approaching. By May 1, fans will have a much better understanding of exactly how The Walking Dead will or will not be affected by the strike. As more details emerge, ComicBook.com/TheWalkingDead will to continue to update the situation. 

MORE WALKING DEAD: TWD Actor Teases Epic Return From Season 1 / Five Comic Book Moments Coming In Season 8 / Did Eugene Betray The Group In Season 6? / FTWD Renewed For Season 4 / Three Actors Promoted To Series Regulars / TWD Showrunner Joins FTWD

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.