UH-OH, FRANK DARABONT STEPS DOWN AS ‘WALKING DEAD’ SHOWRUNNER

Frank Darabont is a pretty awesome guy. He wrote and directed flicks like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist (all Stephen King adaptations, of course), and most recently he was the head writer and showrunner for AMC’s breakout Zombie hit The Walking Dead. All of that is apparently over now, because in a surprise move, Darabont has stepped down from his showrunning duties. According to a source at Deadline, who broke the story:

“Darabont, who spent five years trying to get a TV version of the zombie saga off the ground and wrote and directed the AMC pilot, hails from the feature world, and I hear that he never quite adjusted to the daily grind of producing a TV series. Last December, he considered forgoing a writing staff for Season 2 and assigning scripts to freelancers but ultimately went for the traditional writing staff model recommended by the network…”

Sad news, to be sure, but thankfully it will not affect or delay the production for season 2 in any way. The premiere is still scheduled to air this October.

‘GHOST RIDER 2’ MIGHT NOT SUCK…

Despite the fact that watching first Ghost Rider film is akin to having a cattle prod blasted into your testicles – and despite the return of the completely bonkers Nic Cage –  reports coming out of the San Diego Comic-Con are giving comic fans hope that the sequel, Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance, won’t completely suck. Apparently, the flick will feature some truly insane and innovative camera work from the directors of Crank 2, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Empire magazine has also released the first production photos from the film, and right off the bat, you can tell everything has a grittier feel. I especially like the burnt, crispy look that Ghost Rider’s bike (and his leather jacket) has, and the skull and flames look a million times better. Idris Elba is always awesome in anything he does, so it’s comforting to see him here. Hell, even Nic Cage’s hairpiece doesn’t look as ridiculous! Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance is due in theaters on February 17th.