Here's Why The AMC Lawsuit Won't Affect The Walking Dead

Brandon Davis

11/09/2017 05:19 pm EST

Fans of The Walking Dead are understandably worried about the fate of the AMC series following the news of the massive lawsuit thrown at the host network. However, they need not worry about the #1 series on cable.

With executive producers Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Frank Darabont and creator Robert Kirkman all seeking a hefty among of cash from the network, claiming they were cheated in the profit-centric portion of their deals for The Walking Dead, AMC released a statement promising to respect the team as they continue to work together.

Now, the new plaintiffs (excluding Darabont whose case has already reached the courts) have released a statement of their own, the day of officially filing their suit.

"While we disagree with AMC on the merits of our lawsuit, we appreciate its statement that it will continue to work with us as partners on the continued success of The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead and The Talking Dead," the trio said in a statement Tuesday. "We also reaffirm our commitment to continue to make the best programs possible."

In the end, the statements from both sides indicate the partnership will allow for the continued creative work on The Walking Dead while the lawsuit plays out. Based on the claims, neither side of the case will be allowing the suit to interfere with the series which is reigning supreme in terms of cable ratings -- for now.

Hurd, Alpert, and Kirkman are all also heavily involved with The Walking Dead's sibling series Fear the Walking Dead which is set for a return on September 10.

Studio Purchase

The news of the lawsuit came just days after Kirkman penned a new deal with Amazon to launch new Skybound titles on the streaming service.

Kirkman and Skybound will develop new television series to debut exclusive on Amazon's Prime Video streaming service. Bryan and Sean Furst, Skybound Entertainment's co-presidents of film and television, will oversee the Amazon project slate, along with Kirkman and Skybound co-founder and The Walking Dead co-executive producer David Alpert.

"Robert is a gifted storyteller who shares our passion for elevated genre storytelling that pushes boundaries," said Sharon Tal Yguado, head of event series for Amazon Studios. "Robert and the team at Skybound are some of the most innovative and fearless creatives in the business. Together, we plan to explore immersive worlds and bold ideas for Prime Video."

Outside of Kirkman's best known work with The Walking Dead in both comics and on AMC, the writer has crafted some other popular titles with Skybound and Image Comics. Among them are Invincible (which has a movie in development from Seth Rogan and Ian Goldberg), Outcast (which became a TV series on Cinemax), and the Walking Dead spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead.

"At Skybound Entertainment we strive to tell the best stories in the most unique and creative ways in an effort to always break new ground," said Kirkman. "A forward thinking company like Amazon is the perfect home for us. Their new foray into genre fiction has us at peak optimism for what can be accomplished during this unprecedented partnership. Sharon Tal Yguado has been an instrumental force in the success of Walking Dead and Outcast from day one. Being able to not only continue that relationship, but also expand it into new territory with the vast resources of Amazon, means great things are ahead for myself, David Alpert, Skybound and fans of awesome entertainment. Look out world, here we come!"

Kirkman & Amazon

The news of the lawsuit came just days after Kirkman penned a new deal with Amazon to launch new Skybound titles on the streaming service. It was a move which appears to be completely unrelated to the lawsuit.

Kirkman and Skybound will develop new television series to debut exclusive on Amazon's Prime Video streaming service. Bryan and Sean Furst, Skybound Entertainment's co-presidents of film and television, will oversee the Amazon project slate, along with Kirkman and Skybound co-founder and The Walking Dead co-executive producer David Alpert.

"Robert is a gifted storyteller who shares our passion for elevated genre storytelling that pushes boundaries," said Sharon Tal Yguado, head of event series for Amazon Studios. "Robert and the team at Skybound are some of the most innovative and fearless creatives in the business. Together, we plan to explore immersive worlds and bold ideas for Prime Video."

Outside of Kirkman's best known work with The Walking Dead in both comics and on AMC, the writer has crafted some other popular titles with Skybound and Image Comics. Among them are Invincible (which has a movie in development from Seth Rogan and Ian Goldberg), Outcast (which became a TV series on Cinemax), and the Walking Dead spin-off series Fear the Walking Dead.

"At Skybound Entertainment we strive to tell the best stories in the most unique and creative ways in an effort to always break new ground," said Kirkman. "A forward thinking company like Amazon is the perfect home for us. Their new foray into genre fiction has us at peak optimism for what can be accomplished during this unprecedented partnership. Sharon Tal Yguado has been an instrumental force in the success of Walking Dead and Outcast from day one. Being able to not only continue that relationship, but also expand it into new territory with the vast resources of Amazon, means great things are ahead for myself, David Alpert, Skybound and fans of awesome entertainment. Look out world, here we come!"

More Walking Dead

The Walking Dead's sibling series Fear the Walking Dead returns September 10th. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season on October 22, 2017. The Season Eight premiere will mark 100 episodes overall for the popular AMC series. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

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

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