The Walking Dead season 7 will see Rick share the spotlight with Negan, says producer

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The lion's share of screen time and attention on The Walking Dead has traditionally gone to Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes, but as the show enters its seventh season that is poised to change. Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been confirmed as a series regular for season 7, and his villainous Negan will be just as important and influential a character as Rick going forward:

"I mean, it’s really, Rick is now, if you really think about his journey in the comic books, he shares the spotlight with Negan in the comic book. Negan now has some ownership over what the show is about", producer Greg Nicotero told Deadline. "I think it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better for our group, and it’s pretty intense. I mean, the show, we’re sort of opening a new chapter". 

This lines up nicely with what Lincoln told us at San Diego Comic Con recently - specifically, that Negan's introduction means he "gets a bit of time off" - and that's good news for fans of the Walking Dead comic who have long waited to see Negan brought to life on screen. Here's hoping Morgan and co can meet their expectations. 

Season 7 of The Walking Dead will debut on AMC in October 2016.

Images: AMC

Amon Warmann
Amon Warmann

Amon is a contributing editor and columnist for Empire magazine, but is also a Film and TV writer for GamesRadar+, Total Film, and others. He has also written for NME, Composer Mag, and more, along with being a film critic for TalkSport. He is also the co-host of the Fade to Black Podcast, and a video mashup creator. Can also do a pretty good Bane impersonation.