'The Walking Dead' Season 8 News, Release Date: No Storylines Were Changed Despite Stuntman's Death, Reveals Robert Kirkman
After "The Walking Dead" season 7 saw a significant drop in its viewership, the creators of the series hoped to make a recovery in season 8. However, their hopes were dampened yet again when one of the stuntmen of the series met a fatal accident while filming for the new installment.
In a recent interview during the Television Critics Association event, executive producer Robert Kirkman talked about the tragedy and how it has or has not affected the plot of the upcoming installment. According to him, production for season 8 was suspended following the July 13 incident, but no storylines were changed in light of stuntman John Bernecker's death.
"No storylines were changed, you know, that was a tragic accident. It wasn't story related, it was just a freak accident that happened on set and it's something that we're dealing with, but it hasn't affected the storyline in any way," said Kirkman.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Kirkman added that each of them had their own way of dealing with what happened to Bernecker, and his death would stick with them for a long time. He, together with showrunner Scott Gimple and the other cast and crew of "The Walking Dead," cut short the show's TCA panel to make it to the veteran stuntman's funeral.
On July 13, Bernecker died on the spot after falling from a 30-foot-tall structure and landing on a concrete floor while doing a stunt for the upcoming season. Aside from "The Walking Dead," he also worked as a stuntman for "24: Legacy," "Logan," "Get Out," "The Hunger Games" franchise, "Olympus has Fallen" and "Looper." He also performed some stunts for the upcoming film "Black Panther."
Meanwhile, Kirkman teased that there was going to be an all-out war in season 8 as Rick and his group and their allies fight back against Negan and the Saviors. "In season 8 we're trying to do a more fast-paced season, a more action-packed season, really focusing on momentum," he said.
"The Walking Dead" season 8 premieres on Oct. 22 on AMC.
