As though we didn’t have enough reasons to look forward to The Walking Dead’s return for its second season, now it seems horror writer Stephen King is in talks to write an episode of the AMC series, based on a graphic novel by Robert Kirkman.
According to IGN, TWD actress Laurie Holden mentioned this little tidbit at C2E2 this weekend. As for which episode he’ll write for if this deal is locked in, that’s still up in the air. Still, you have to admit, it’s fairly fantastic news. It also makes sense and not just because The Walking Dead is a series about the zombie apocapse, and King is a master of the horror genre. TWD’s showrunner is Frank Darabont, who previously adapted some of King’s stories (The Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption and The Mist) for film, so there’s a big connection there.
I’d say that part of what make’s King such an excellent story-teller is his constant emphasis on human nature, human relationships and the development of his characters. The stories don’t rely entirely on the supernatural and horror elements to be entertaining. If anything, those strange and oftentimes dark events serve to draw out the best and worst in the people he’s writing about, and that’s where the story is. In that respect, I think he’s a perfect fit for The Walking Dead, which is a character driven story that follows people as they attempt to live on a zombie-infested earth.
