Frank Darabont has finally broken his silence on his well-publicized departure from “The Walking Dead.” We’ve known for years now that the split between the show’s developer and network AMC was anything but amicable, but Darabont has been admirably mum on the experience. However, now that he’s doing press the rounds for a new show, you can expect the writer to be asked about what went down quite a few times. So it goes today is the first time we’re given some insight into just how bitter the whole debacle was.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Darabont speaks about not watching the show and the “malevolent people” who tore him away from zombie hit.
Q: Have you kept up with the show since your departure? Fans of Kirkman’s comics haven’t particularly enjoyed its direction since you left.
Have not? Well I wouldn’t know. Because, for the same reason that if the woman that I loved left me for the Pilates instructor and they sent me an invitation to their wedding, for the same reason I wouldn’t go to the wedding, I haven’t seen an episode of The Walking Dead since then.
Q: Did you just need to wash your hands of it?
Look, I really haven’t spoken of this yet – I will, I’ll get there – but I had to take some time off after that to really reassess everything, to really get over the emotional devastation of having some truly malevolent people tear asunder a brilliant family that had gathered to create this hit for them. It was a very, very deep and loving family, the cast and the crew, and to have that torn apart was – when somebody throws a hand-grenade into that situation, it’s tremendously emotionally trying. So would I want to watch another episode of The Walking Dead after that? Are you fucking kidding me? No, you put that traumatic disappointment behind you and move on with your life.
Darabont has moved on indeed: he’s currently running TNT’s crime series “Mob City”; it premieres on December 4th.