SHOWRUNNER FRANK DARABONT SHUFFLES OFF FROM SEASON TWO OF 'THE WALKING DEAD'

Hold the phone! Reports from the 'The Walking Dead' season 2 camp are pretty hard to swallow today. The maestro Frank Darabont, creator and executive producer on the show, has stepped down as the showrunner on the new AMC season. The guy responsible for bringing the Robert Kirkman graphic novels to life (no pun intended) on the small screen is leaving the show amidst speculation that the TV production schedule was too out of his comfort zone. In spite of this surprising news we should point out that it won't affect the upcoming season too much (we hope!). Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Michael Rooker ('Slither'), Norman Reedus, Jeffrey DeMunn, Laurie Holden ('Silent Hill'), Steven Yeun and Sarah Wayne Callies ('Prison Break') all return for the new season.

"'The Walking Dead' follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The comic goes on to explore the challenges of life in a world overrun by zombies who take a toll on the survivors, and sometimes the interpersonal conflicts present a greater danger to their continuing survival than the zombies that roam the country. Over time, the characters are changed by the constant exposure to death and some grow willing to do anything to survive."

Season 2 of the 'The Walking Dead' premieres stateside on 16 October on AMC.

Frank Darabont Leaves 'The Walking Dead'