Producers Suing AMC Over ‘The Walking Dead’ Profits

Robert Kirkman is one of several producers suing AMC over profits from The Walking Dead.

THE WALKING DEAD PRODUCERS SUING AMC

Show creator Kirkman along with Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, and Glen Mazzara are claiming that they are not being paid their fair share from the network. A similar case was brought forth in 2013 by Frank Darabont, a former executive producer who claimed he was owed nearly $300 million for his work. The difference here is that three of the four plaintiffs still actively work on The Walking Dead.

The producers are suing for “breach of contract, inducing breaches, and unfair or fraudulent business acts under California business code.” In response, AMC released the following statement: “These kinds of lawsuits are fairly common in entertainment and they all have one thing in common – they follow success. Virtually every studio that has had a successful show has been the target of litigation like this, and The Walking Dead has been the #1 show on television for five years in a row, so this is no surprise. We have enormous respect and appreciation for these plaintiffs, and we will continue to work with them as partners, even as we vigorously defend against this baseless and predictably opportunistic lawsuit.”

Right now, the lawsuit doesn’t mean much for the future of the show. Several other producers and head honchos are not suing, like Greg Nicotero and Scott M. Gimple. So even if some quit or are fired, the show will still air.

Season 8 of the hit zombie show will premiere Oct. 23 on AMC.