Creator Of The Walking Dead And Executive Producers Lawsuit Against AMC Set To Go To Trial

Robert Kirkman, creator of “The Walking Dead” and ‘Outcast’ comic book series and TV shows, at his Skybound Studio in Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

The ongoing lawsuit between Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Gale Ann Hurd and producers of the show versus AMC network is indeed moving forward.

Comicbook.com has an update regarding the lawsuit and it looks like Kirkman and the other producers involved in AMC’s huge hit, The Walking Dead, are set to go to court…unless AMC settles that is.

The site reads that in a ruling Monday, federal judge Fernando Aenlle-Rocha denied AMC's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, one that alleges inaccurate profit sharing between the network and the producers behind the series.

"It would be an illogical interpretation of the MFN (most favored nations) provisions and contrary to the reasonable expectations of the parties in entering into the agreements if the court were to allow Defendants, as a matter of law, to provide Darabont and CAA with increased contingent compensation and a greater share of future gross receipts for the series through a settlement agreement—at Plaintiffs' expense—without providing Plaintiffs the same," Aenlle-Rocha wrote in his decision.

To break that down for ya real easy, the judge is basically saying if original showrunner and director of The Walking Dead, Frank Darabont was owed money by AMC then for sure Kirkman and crew are entitled to the same if not more funds from the network.

Darabount walked away from The Walking Dead after season 2 and went on to sue AMC for a reported $200 Million. Dats a spicy meatball!

"Plaintiffs are entitled to the same treatment afforded to Darabont with respect to his MAGR interests, they are therefore entitled to have the same valuation applied to their MAGR interests, which, collectively, exceed Darabont's and CAA's," Aenlle-Rocha added. "As a result, Plaintiffs are entitled to a payment well over $200 million from AMC, in an amount to be proved at trial."

The original lawsuit from Kirkman, Hurd, David Alpert, Charles Eglee, and Glenn Mazzara was entered into the courts in 2022. AMC was allegedly withholding sizable payments from the group of producers.

"Even though AMC exploited Plaintiffs' ideas and services to make billions from The Walking Dead franchise, AMC issued a MAGR definition that, in its original form, would not have paid out a single dollar in profit participation to Plaintiffs," the initial suit read (via Deadline). "Unsurprisingly, AMC's MAGR definition has spurred a storm of disputes with the creative talent on The Walking Dead that ultimately resulted in litigation."

It’s becoming more and more apparent that AMC is going to be shelling out the big bucks to make this go away. We’ll bring you more as we find out.

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