The Walking Dead Could Last 20 More Years

03/26/2017 06:34 pm EDT

If you're going to dream, then you might as well do it big. For the folks over at AMC, this tenant is one of the things that keeps The Walking Dead sitting high with ratings despite a recent slump. The show is nearing the end of its seventh season, and the gritty survival-horror series shows no signs of slowing down just yet. And, if the the showrunner of The Walking Dead is right, then fans can expect a lot more from the franchise in coming years.

Recently, Scott Gimple spoke with fans about the series during a panel at Paley Fest in Los Angeles. It was there the showrunner said he envisioned The Walking Dead lasting well into 2030 if not longer.

"We are trying to do twenty years," he said. "The (Walking Dead) comic has certainly done it, and I look forward to every issue."

Gimple even went on to compare The Walking Dead to another long-running series here in the U.S. Nodding to The Simpsons, the producer said AMC's zombified series was more than happy to challenge the cartoon family. "The Simpsons has been on 26, 27 years, so that's a challenge — so OK, challenge accepted. Done."

"We try to reinvent the show every eight episodes. We have this story that is a fidelity to the comic book, but we're also exploring original stuff, and those things help us go on every year," Gimple continued. "We want to try do it better, do things we haven't done, take risks. It's scary as hell, but as long as we keep doing that the show can go on and on."

Gimple is not the only one connected to the franchise who has high hopes for its future. In the past, creator Robert Kirkman made it clear that The Walking Dead would have enough content to go on for at least 12 seasons.

"It took us 6 seasons to get to 100," Kirkman wrote to fans. "It won't take us 6 years to get to 200 and that will take us to season … TWELVE. And we'll still be ahead of the show at that point."

MORE WALKING DEAD: What Sasha Photos Mean For Next Episodes / Who Did Rosita See? / Tom Payne On Jesus' Sexuality Reveal / Andrew Lincoln's Amazing Series Ending Idea / Melissa McBride Wants A Rick/Carol Reunion / Showrunner Promises "Conclusive" Finale

(Photo: AMC)

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

[HT] NY Daily News

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.

(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
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