'The Walking Dead' Renewed For Season 9

AMC has officially renewed its hit zombie series The Walking Dead for a ninth season debuting in the fall of 2018.

Season 8 of The Walking Dead will kick off on October 22, 2017. The first episode of Season 8 served as the 100th overall for the AMC series. With Season 8 and its All Out War story having come to an end, 115 episodes have aired and Season 9 will kick off with Episode 116.

Episode 8x01, titled Mercy, set "into motion, with emotion, the next 100 episodes" according to The Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple. "It's the fuse that lights, though the episode, and by the end it explodes and starts the season going. After the first episode, the next three episodes are just break neck speed and full of action. I think, probably, the most consecutive action-oriented episodes we've had on the show. Then, things get a little acoustic."

A premiere date for Season 9 will likely be revealed at San Diego Comic Con, along with the release of the first trailer for the new season.

"There's aspects of this season that I won't tell you, but we're emphasizing because next season, especially the first half of next season, is going to be very, very different," Gimple said. When asked more specifically if Gimple was referencing Season 9, the showrunner confirmed as much. "Yes," Gimple said. "You do your long range planning, and then you get just in the field of battle on that certain thing you're doing. You think you're doing it for one reason, you realize oh, you're saving something for that. Or you're going to be approaching it in a different way."

The Walking Dead's sibling series Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returned for its eighth season on October 22, 2017. The Season Eight premiere marked 100 episodes overall for the popular AMC series. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.