What you need to know about The Walking Dead season 7, including latest news, premiere date, trailers, cast, & story details!
The Walking Dead Season 7 Latest News
In an interview with EW, the creator of the The Walking Dead franchise himself, Robert Kirkman discusses the mindset in which he originally concocted the enigmatic apocalypse “King” Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and his Hindu-god-named sidekick Shiva. The crucial concept in Kirkman’s story is that at the time Ezekiel was introduced in the pages of The Walking Dead comic book in Issue 108, which hit on March 13, 2013, the television series was already in the middle of season 3 dealing with the Governor and Woodbury. Thus, at this point in the comic lore, just about everything he did had to consider eventual effects on the show. According to Kirkman:
“Well, I’ll say I’m really excited about Ezekiel and Shiva getting into the show because that’s probably the wildest swing I took in the comics. You know, a guy who has a pet tiger [and] who speaks like some kind of weird medieval king is pretty strange, and I have to be honest, when I was writing the comic, I was like, “Hell yeah, let’s see how we handle this tiger in the show! This is going to be difficult!” So to actually get to this point where we are adapting it into the show and to see the show expand in this way that the comic did in the past is pretty cool.”
Certainly, the idea of a tiger roaming and ravaging in the midst of a zombie apocalypse scenario is probably one of the most anachronistic (reality-based) concepts one could imagine, perhaps save for animals in the pachyderm order. However, even those who might not be acquainted with the comic dynamic between Ezekiel (who leads a group of survivors known as the Kingdom,) and his tiger Shiva, have been apprised of its poignancy in interviews. Even Ezekiel actor Khary Payton himself has stated that she is a “powerful symbol” and “the beginning and the end for Ezekiel.” Yet, all of that hinged on the practical task of bringing Shiva (a product of CGI and animatronics,) to life. As Kirkman explains:
“You can’t have a fake tiger, because you know that’s not going to work. This is a very real world and if Shiva doesn’t walk on screen, and look like this amazing real tiger that’s existing amongst these characters, it’s going to be more farfetched than it is in and of itself. So you really have to sell it. You really have to have this deadly, terrifying creature coexisting with these people, and it has been a Herculean task to make sure that we get it right.”
Lauding the "Herculean task" of executive producer and effects wizard Greg Nicotero and his visual effects team, Kirkman adds:
“I’m very happy with how it’s turning out. You can see in the trailer, it absolutely looks amazing. You wouldn’t, you know, think we had a real tiger on set, but thankfully we don’t or else I would never go to set again.
Kirkman also affirms the idea that the introduction of both Ezekiel and Shiva represents “a very pivotal benchmark” in the mythology, marking major tonal divergences as the conflict between Rick’s group and Negan’s Saviors evolves and escalates. While we last saw Rick and 10 other unlucky members of his group on their knees waiting for one to be brutally executed, an “All Out War,” is already starting to take shape based on what we’re seeing in the trailers and that voraciously frightening tiger will certainly help in that effort.
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In another interview with EW, The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln dishes, to a certain extent, on the distributive effects that Negan will incite, not only by virtue of the person (or persons) he will be revealed to have killed, but his overall influence on season 7. With Lincoln’s protagonist Rick Grimes among the 11 characters forced to their knees, ready to be chosen for execution by Negan and his fellow extorting ravagers the Saviors, the actor has a clear perspective on the show’s tonal shift. According to Lincoln of Morgan’s Negan:
“It’s such a great part and it’s so beautifully written. And he’s such an important part of the show, this character, that we needed an actor that could step up and take the bull by the horns and drag it forward, and make it his own. And certainly, that’s what we have this season.”
It should come as no surprise that Negan will end up being such a crucial addition to The Walking Dead. After all, creator Robert Kirkman originally introduced the character in the comic book source material back in 2012 with the intention of shaking up the foundation of the story after the title had been going through its gritty, humanistic zombie apocalypse motions for 9 years. Accordingly, the anticipated introduction of Negan – occurring in the closing moments of Season 6 finale, “Last Day on Earth” – was also indicative of an ennui-assailing injection of adrenaline-fueled chaos, going into season 7. Lincoln describes Morgan’s fufillment of that capacity, stating:
“I think everybody got a sense of what this actor is capable of in the last episode. But rest assured that that’s really just the beginning of what Jeffrey is creating. It’s very impressive and it’s great fun to work with him.”
Of course, in the pages of The Walking Dead comics, Negan quickly emerged as the definitive antagonist of the mythology, surpassing the eye-patch-sporting megalomaniac The Governor by a longshot. While the villain’s show debut was marred with controversy, most fans did like what they saw of Morgan’ chilling performance, delivering some iconic comic book lines. Respectively, Lincoln believes that Negan has become a welcome late-addition centerpiece to the aging horror drama, affirming:
“Without the baddest of the bad guys, it wouldn’t be the same show. And I think it’s breathed a new terrifying life into the show, and at no better time. What an extraordinary thing, to wait seven seasons to reveal the baddest of the bad guys.”
While eagle-eyed speculators and spoiler consumers still don't have substantive proof about what will happen whenThe Walking Dead season 7 commences, Lincoln’s comments do provide some intriguing insight into the shape of the show, which will be dramatically altered by a few swings of Negan’s barbed-wire bat Lucille in the premiere.
Don't forget to listen to Den of Geek's Walking Dead podcast, No Room in Hell!
The Walking Dead Season 7 Release Date
The Walking Dead season 7 will premiere on October 23, 2016.
The Walking Dead Season 7 Trailer
The first trailer for The Walking Dead season 7 has arrived! Who is Negan's victim? The trailer teases the answer. Check it out below:
We also get confirmation that Ezekiel and his pet tiger, Shiva, will definitely be in the next season of The Walking Dead. Ezekiel, who is the leader of a new settlement called The Kingdom, will be played by Khary Payton (Young Justice).
AMC has released a sneak peak of The Walking Dead season 7 featuring Dwight, one of Negan's lieutenants from last season. It's a pretty creepy little scene on a highway:
Should we read more into the fact that Dwight is clearly riding Daryl's bike? And is that Daryl's vest? We're going to stay away from speculation for now...
A new TV spot for The Walking Dead season 7 highlights the show's new villain, Negan, as he lists the rules that Rick and his group will have to follow in order to survive under the new management. Check it out below:
A new trailer showcasing King Ezekiel has arrived ahead of The Walking Deadseason 7 premiere next month. There's a bit of new footage below, including Ezekiel bringing down his sword on some walkers. Check it out below: