John Bernecker And George Romero Tribute Airing On The Walking Dead Premiere Ending

In the closing moments of The Walking Dead's 100th episode on Sunday night, the AMC series will [...]

TWD Romero Bernecker Tribute Memory

In the closing moments of The Walking Dead's 100th episode on Sunday night, the AMC series will pay tribute to John Bernecker and George Romero, according to a TV Guide report.

Prior to the credits rolling, two tribute tags will be shown on the screen. "In Memory of John Bernecker," the first will read. "In Memory of George Romero," the second will read. Both Bernecker and Romero passed away in 2017.

Bernecker, age 33, was a stuntman working on the set of The Walking Dead's eighth season when a tragic accident sent him falling from a balcony on July 13, 2017. The performer had worked on the series for years before the accident and still has several titles coming out in theaters featuring his work.

Through 2018, Bernecker will be seen in Black Panther, Game Night, The War with Grandpa, Rampage, and Escape Plan 2: Hades, in addition to his more than 80 already released credits.

"John passed away this week, after he was injured doing something he loved: helping tell stories that excite, entertain, and give people an escape," showrunner Scott Gimple said at San Diego Comic Con. "He helped make movies and shows for people like everybody in this room. John was someone beloved in the stunt community; someone who trained other people and helped them break into the business. He was living his dream, and he helped other people do the same thing. We didn't really know if we should do this panel today, but we wanted to be here for you. And we wanted to tell you about John, and we wanted to show you what we've all been working on."

Romero was and continues to be a major influence on creator Robert Kirkman's work with The Walking Dead. The horror legend passed away on July 16, 2017. Since his work in 1968's Night of the Living Dead, Romero is often credited as the godfather of zombies across movies and television.

"I first encountered Night of the Living Dead on late-night network television," Kirkman wrote in a recent Walking Dead comic issue. "The Fox affiliate of the brand new fourth network channel in Lexington, Kentucky had airtime to fill, so they would run movies at night. One of those nights they ran Night of the Living Dead (followed by an ILLEGAL, I would later learn, airing of the Night of the Living Bread spoof). Watching Duane Jones get shot at the end of that movie blew my mind. The level of social commentary tucked effortlessly into that flawless horror film was awe-inducing, and is sadly still extremely relevant today. It took seeing Night of the Living Bread to allow my teenage mind to finally go to sleep."

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

0comments