The Walking Dead producer David Alpert says that the series has plans for at least seven more seasons.

Speaking on a panel over the weekend, Alpert revealed that AMC’s wildly successful zombie drama could last a very long time if the viewers stick around.

“I happen to love working from source material, specifically because we have a pretty good idea of what season 10 is gonna be,” he said in comments published by Indiewire. “We know where season 11 and 12…we have benchmarks and milestones for those seasons if we’re lucky enough to get there.”

The comments were made when an attendee asked Alpert if he enjoys working from source material, referring to The Walking Dead comic series by Robert Kirkman on which the show is based.

With close to 130 issues in print, it’s no surprise that The Walking Dead could have a long lifespan. The surprise is that this amount of material is already mapped out, according to these new comments.

If all 12 seasons see the light of day, The Walking Dead will become AMC’s longest-running drama. Their current longest is Mad Men, which will air the second half of its seventh and final season next year.

AMC is also planning a Walking Dead spinoff, which is slated to premiere in 2015. The new series will be produced by the original show’s team: Kirkman, Albert, and Gale Anne Hurd. While information about the new series is still under wraps, one report suggests that it will be a prequel with new characters and set in an entirely different area of the United States.

The Walking Dead risks losing viewers if there are one too many seasons of the show. Do you think the series can last through the year 2022 and still hold your interest?