When Does 'The Walking Dead' Season 9 Start?

The Walking Dead Season Eight is officially a thing of the past, launching the dreaded wait for Season Nine.

Season Nine will premiere in October of 2018. Though an exact date has not yet been revealed, October 21 and October 28 are the safe bets. Historically, The Walking Dead has premiered as early as October 15 and as late as Halloween, however Season Seven took an October 23, 2016 premiere date and Season Eight took an October 22, 2017 premiere date.

Season Nine will begin production in Georgia later this month, with the set currently under construction to add new buildings and locations.

However, Season Nine might not pick up directly where Season Eight left off. Though the war has finally concluded, the AMC show is primed for a massive time jump should it follow its comic book source material, aging Judith several years and providing the show with a brand new feel. Such a move should be expected, as Angela Kang looks to plaster her stamp onto the AMC show in her first year as showrunner, with Scott Gimple shifting from the role into a Chief Content Officer position.

"She's incredible man," Dwight actor Austin Amelio told ComicBook.com of Kang. "One of my favorite writers that we have, fore sure. She's just full of great ideas and it'll be exciting to see and see what she does. I love her, man, I think she's great."

The cast and crew are as excited as anyone else to see what's next for the AMC show. "It's a little unexpected," Carol actress Melissa McBride told ComicBook.com about her reaction to the Season Eight finale. "When I read it I was like, 'Well, that's a turn, that's a twist. Huh? Whoa, wait. Okay, wait, okay, then what?' So I'm really anxious for Season Nine because I want to know what."

The road to Season Nine has a few highlights along the way. For example, Morgan's story is continuing on Fear the Walking Dead following his departure from the group in the Season Eight finale. As that drama plays out, fans can also look forward to a Season Nine trailer spawning at San Diego Comic Con on July 20, 2018, along with an official premiere date announcement on the same day.

The Walking Dead will return for its ninth season in the fall. Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.