Robert Kirkman Talks "Walking Dead" Season Two

[JamesG]

Robert Kirkman on "Walking Dead" season two: 'You haven't seen anything yet'
by James Hibberd
Mar 2, 2011


With "The Walking Dead" coming out on DVD next week, the show’s writer-producer and original comic book’s creator Robert Kirkman answers some of our burning questions about the second season, the upcoming video game and more.




What makes the DVD a must buy for fans?

There’s a lot of cool behind-the-scenes footage, we had a great guy on set every minute of every day to catch a lot of candid footage and it’s put into bunch of documentaries.

Plus, of course, we have the six episodes. I love that it’s coming out now instead of like some TV shows that put out the DVD right before the next season.

It always bugs me when I want to re-watch the last season of "Lost" but I can’t watch 22 episodes in the four days just before the new season starts. I understand that they do it for marketing reasons, but I wish they would give us more time.









Exactly. How are things going on season 2?

Great. We’re mapping out everything. We got a lot of cool ideas. Everyone here is mindful of how well received the first season was.

We’re breaking our backs, story wise, to make sure the next season is twice is good, or three times as good, with a lot of twists and turns and pushing the envelop of what you can do on TV.









The first season alternated mainly between the camp site and Atlanta.
What will the setting be for season 2?

I don’t know if I can go into that, but I know Frank Darabont has said we’re going to see Hershel’s farm. We’re looking to take some picturesque rural landscapes and playing with that and coming up with some cool zombie visuals.

We’ll see some of the locations of the first season, but we’re going to mainly focus on breaking new ground. Oh, and we’re going to feature a lava planet.









Of course, the survivors have to stop at Mustafar.
How much Rick vs. Shane drama is going to play into season 2?

That’s definitely the core dynamic that’s going on, but there’s a lot of other interesting stuff in the mix. We’re going to seeing a lot of Andrea and a lot more of Laurie.









How much is Frank Darabont writing/directing?

He’s focusing on writing. He’s in writers room every day. I’m writing some episodes and he’s writing some episodes. We’re trying to figure out what we’re doing with the directing right now.

The logistics and also being big part of the writers room will limit his time.









Is the great Bear McCreary staying on as composer?

Yes.





And we still have to wait until October?

Yes, that’s pretty public at this point. That’s the target.





"The Walking Dead" will be at Comic-Con, I assume?

Oh yeah, indeed. We’re going to have a 12-foot-tall zombie costume









What will the upcoming "Walking Dead" video game bring new to the genre?

One of the key aspects of "Walking Dead" is that it focuses on characters and the emotion, and that theme is very much alive in the game, and luckily with modern games you can actually do that.









Anything else you can tease to from about season 2?

We’ve been talking to [zombie effects master] Greg Nicotero a lot about some cool zombie stuff he has planned.

As much as this show pushed the envelope of gore on TV, the joy of seeing the best zombies ever done on a TV show every week, all I can say you haven’t seen anything yet.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/03/02/wa...n-two-details/

[JamesG]

Robert Kirkman talks the new season of “The Walking Dead”
Posted by Allan Dart
Apr 06, 2011


"The Walking Dead" creator has spoken up about the series’ upcoming sophomore year, raising the zombie bar, the video game and discussing the possibilities for third and fourth seasons with showrunner Fank Darabont.







The AMC program’s hugely successful first year featured some exceptional (and graphic) zombie kills, and Kirkman promises that the bar won’t simply be raised in season two.

“You can’t even see the bar because it’s been raised so much,” says Kirkman in his chat with Collider.

There’s all kinds of crazy stuff that is coming up. I’m really excited. It really becomes just an effort to just find that thing that AMC is going to make us change. So we all are sitting there going, ‘Oh, they are going to make us change that!’ There is a lot of cool stuff coming up.

I worry that we are getting a little too like, ‘Oh, yeah. They [AMC] will let us do anything,’ just because they have been so accommodating. It’s really kind of shocking, but I think it’s a testament to how successful the show has been that they have been willing go to that extra mile. They are allowing a zombie show to be a zombie show.

They are not pulling punches at all, and I think that is a big part of its success. People who like zombie movies can sit down and watch this, and not feel like they are getting a light version of a zombie movie. We plan to stretch those boundaries to the test on the second season.”








Kirkman wrote an episode for the first season, and has plans to write more for the next.

“We are still working that out,” he remarks. “It will probably be more than one.”





Thinking longterm, Kirkman and Darabont aren’t only looking to the second season, but beyond.

“There are different ideas that Frank had for different episodes from the beginning of the first season,” Kirkman comments.

“He has ideas for the third season. We talk about the third and fourth season a lot in the writers’ room, which haven’t been picked up by AMC, but we have high hopes. So there is a lot of longterm planning. Anything that we couldn’t quite fit into the first season will just kind of happen in the second season.”

http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?op...ews&Itemid=167

[JamesG]

"Walking Dead’s" Robert Kirkman Talks Second Season
5/9/2011
by Lesley Goldberg


The Hollywood Reporter caught up with "The Walking Dead" comics creator and series writer/executive producer Robert Kirkman on Free Comic Book Day to discuss what’s ahead for the drama’s second season.




Looking ahead to Season 2 of "The Walking Dead", is there a staff of writers or are you using freelancers as had been speculated?

We have a full writing staff; there are three full-time staff writers and a freelancer: Evan Reilly ("Rescue Me"), Scott Gimple ("FlashForward") and Angela Kang ("Terriers") and one freelancer.

Darabont and [new executive producer] Glen Mazzara and myself are all working on the show. All that reporting about the writers being fired and going freelance, that was all something that never really happened.











You’re picked up for 13 episodes for Season 2 starting in October.
Is it going to be a straight run-through or will there be a hiatus?

I can’t really speak about that.

I think there’s probably going to be some announcements that AMC would like to make and I wouldn’t want to step all over their marketing game.











Has production started?

We’re well into the show; scripts are all completed and the final touches are being made and I think he cameras will be rolling in a few weeks.

We’re all very excited to get back to Atlanta and sweat.











Where will Season 2 pick up?
The last we saw Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and company were leaving the CDC after the explosion.

The last time we saw our characters, they were loaded up into the RV and they were driving away from the CDC. We will definitely see where that caravan is going and follow them on their journey.

So, pretty much where we get blown up.











How long will it be until we find out what Jenner (Noah Emmerich) whispered to Rick before the CDC blew up in the finale?

I think that was a great change on Frank’s part and I really liked that he’s adding things that keeps people guessing. I certainly enjoyed watching people play the guessing game online.

This isn’t a scene that’s going to be seen without any payoff. We’re not going to be dragging that on to the point of exhaustion. And it will be done when the time is right.











Will we see Merle (Michael Rooker) in Season 2?

All I can really say is that everyone loves Michael Rooker.











When are we going to meet machete-wielding bad-ass Michonne?

Maybe Season 3.

Frank and everybody involved in the show love her and we’re all very interested in working her into the show.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hea...kirkman-186604

[JamesG]

TV: Robert Kirkman Speaks on "Walking Dead" Season Two
Thursday, June 16, 2011
By: MrDisgusting


Production commenced Monday, June 6 on the second season of AMC TV's "The Walking Dead".

Much like last fall, AMC begins its series of on-set interviews with the show's talented creative team by chatting with executive producer Robert Kirkman - who also created the comic series - about his expectations for the second season, why he won't play a zombie and Glenn's love prospects in the apocalypse.

There's not too much revealed other than Greg Nicotero and KNB are back with the effects, and that Kirkman is reluctant to direct an episode.





With Season 2 underway, what are you looking forward to?

Time spent in the Atlanta sun. I don't go outside a lot and it's nice to be in nature. Mostly I'm just looking forward to seeing the actors again.

We don't get to hang out that much, so it'll be fun to get back to seeing those guys and interrupting them while they're working: "I know you're really worried about this scene and you're trying to get your lines straight and everything, but let's chat about what I saw on TV last night."





What are you expecting from the first few weeks?

It's a funny question: I really don't know exactly what they're going to be shooting. But I will say there are some really awesome set-pieces coming up in the first episode.

It's just going to be a lot of fun to get back and see Andrew and Sarah and Jon in costume again, watching Greg Nicotero make zombies again. It's gonna be a lot of fun.





Have you seen what Greg has planned, zombie-wise?

Oh yeah. I've seen a lot of the stuff that he's been putting together, and I can just say that he's definitely taking things to the next level. I used to joke when we were promoting the first season, I would say "These are the best zombies that you've ever seen because Greg Nicotero has perfected his craft, and if he goes and does a zombie movie next THOSE will be the best zombies you've ever seen."

And now I'm happy to say that "The Walking Dead" Season 2 zombies are the best zombies you've ever seen because that's what Greg Nicotero is doing next. There are going to be some memorable comic book zombies here and there, and then a lot is just Greg going, "OK, what can you do to the human body?"









Previously, you announced that Hershel's farm would play a big factor in Season 2. What can you tell us about that?

Season 1 focused on Atlanta so much, and we got to see desolate Atlanta and how this stuff affects cities. And that was really cool, and a lot of cool visuals come from that.

But rather than repeat ourselves we're going out into the woods. We're gonna see a lot of rural roads and open fields see how bad things are as you get away from the city centers. It's definitely different enough that Season 2 stands on its own and has its own thing.

And a lot of that comes from Hershel's farm and seeing these characters. All I can say is it's gonna be great, and the casting on Season 2 is going to be as pitch-perfect as the casting on Season 1. I can't wait for everyone to meet Hershel.




Any hints who will be playing him?

We were looking really hard at Charlie Sheen for everyone, but he can't play multiple roles. Turns out he can't even play one, so, I don't know. [Laughs]





How does the fact that Shane's still alive change the story since he died so early in the comic?

While we're mapping out this arc and figuring out this story, we'll pull something in from the comic and then we'll go, "OK, so how does Shane existing change this? What does Shane bring to the situation? What's going on with his character at this point and how does it affect this thing that's already existed."

It's really neat for me to treat "The Walking Dead" TV show as an alternate dimension where Shane lived, and there's all this different stuff happening because of that. Shane really throws a wrench in a lot of stuff.





Are you now reluctant to kill him off?

Yeah absolutely. It's hard thinking about killing any character. If they're good characters, there are always more scenes to write, but this is the nature of things: There are zombies around. People gots to die.

And after getting to know Jon Bernthal and see his portrayal of Shane, it's not an easy decision. He's past his expiration date by comic book standards, but Shane is by no means rotten. I think he's remaining fresh for a while. We'll see.









Last season you were pretty adamant you wouldn't be dress up as a zombie. Have you had a change of heart?

I have not changed my mind. It's just a pet peeve of mine: I don't like recognizing people in cameo. I'm fine with cameos where I know that's a buddy of mine that's a zombie, but I do so much promotion for the show I just feel like viewers would be like, "That's that guy from the Internet! What's he doing in the background?"

I feel like I would stick out like a sore thumb and ruin the scene. Also, I would not be able to resist the urge to wave. No one wants to see a waving zombie.





How about directing an episode this season?

No, no no. That's ridiculous. I won't do that until Season 3. [Laughs] Look, directing looks really difficult.

And I'm really proud of the fact that I've made my living by doing things that aren't very difficult. So, you know, I don't want to start working for a living. That just seems unwise to me.









What can you tell us about Season 2 that no one knows?

It's hard because you're AMC, so I should be able to just say a bunch of things. But I don't want to get either of us in trouble. So let me think...

It's gonna be a lot of fun seeing a potential love interest for Glenn. He ended up being a fan favorite in the first season, so we get to see a little bit of romance for this guy.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/24990