Glen Mazzara, showrunner for The Walking Dead, was recently revealed to be leaving the series at the end of season 3… but why? During a panel discussion at the annual National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Conference Mazzara spoke out.
In a series as successful as The Walking Dead, you’ve got wonder why someone would up and leave out of the blue. Glen Mazzara, showrunner to the series since Frank Darabont’s departure in the beginning of season 2, indicates that he never felt truly in control of the zom-gen sensation, and that this contributed to his exit from the role.
According to Deadline, Mazzara said at the NATPE conference:
“When people involved with the show are looking at the long-term plan, you know, they want something different. And what those differences are, you’d have to ask AMC.”
Whilst AMC has always suggested the split as harmonious, there are doubts as to whether that is truly the case. In fact, several reports indicate that Mazzara had clashed on numerous occasions with other producers (The Hollywood Reporter) and that this caused friction and, ultimately, him ceasing to be involved with the program.
Perhaps though more importantly, Robert Kirkman, writer and co-creator of the Image Comic series AMC’s The Walking Dead is based on, may have affected Mazzara’s return to the series in season 4? One source, an insider, described Kirkman as wanting to “maintain a certain amount of his control” and that “AMC needs Robert for the fan base.” So was Mazzara forced out?
Fans were ecstatic when AMC announced the renewal of The Walking Dead for season 4 in December, but without Mazzara as the showrunner what can we expect for the show? It seems the newly appointed showrunner Scott Gimple has big shoes to fill in season 4.
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