The Walking Dead connections in Frank Darabont’s The Mist
By Renee Hansen
The Walking Dead series began airing on AMC in 2010; during that time, characters have come and gone, primarily due to death, which is expected in an apocalypse, while others have left to pursue other projects. It is always an exciting moment when viewing a movie or show and a Walking Dead actor appears. One movie with many Walking Dead ties is the sci-fi horror The Mist.
The Walking Dead is categorized as a post-apocalyptic horror series, so it’s fitting that many actors from the series have starred in The Mist and other horror films. We’ve compiled this list of horror movies starring Walking Dead actors. (let us know if we’ve missed any.)
The Mist was released in 2007 and is based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film was written and directed by The Walking Dead’s original showrunner, Frank Darabont. The film received positive critical and commercial reviews and has a bit of a cult following.
The Mist – The Walking Dead connections
The first significant connection is The Mist was written and directed by Frank Darabont. He developed and produced season one and the first half of the second season of The Walking Dead series. As a director, he is known for his Stephen King adaptations; in addition to The Mist, he also directed The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.
Darabont is known for collaborating with people on multiple projects, so it is no surprise that many of the same actors are in The Mist and The Walking Dead, as he worked on these projects back to back. Actors who are most widely known that star in both includes Melissa McBride, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, and Juan Gabriel Pareja. Additional names tied to both include Sam Witwer, Tiffany Morgan, and Cheri Dvorak. Many crew members also worked on both projects, including Walking Dead director and SFX guru Greg Nicotero, who worked on creature effects for the film.
Another interesting Walking Dead connection is that Kelly Collins Lintz, mother of Madison, Matt, and Macsen, who all star in TWD, portrayed David’s (Thomas Jane) wife, Stephanie.
The Mist Cast
Here is a list of additional cast members in the film.
- Marcia Gay Harden
- Andre Braugher
- Toby Jones
- William Sadler
- Frances Sternhagen
- Sam Witwer
- Alexa Davalos
- Nathan Gamble
- Chris Owen
- Robert Treveiler
- David Jensen
- Andy Stahl
- Buck Taylor
- Walter Fauntleroy
- Brandon O’Dell
- Jackson Hurst
- Susan Watkins
- Mathew Greer
- Amin Joseph
Interesting, fun facts:
- Darabont wanted Thomas Jane, who played David Drayton in The Mist, to play Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead.
- Darabont has shared he always envisioned filming The Mist in black and white.
The Mist is set in Bridgton, Maine after a severe storm that sees a thick mist descend upon a small town. As citizens stock up on supplies inside a supermarket, a man enters to notify them of danger in the mist. This film is a true horror as there is enough gore to satisfy the horror fan, and the suspense of the unknown threat lurking outside is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Mist film ending is quite different from the book, and author Stephen King prefers the film ending to his book. In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment in 2017, King stated, “It was so anti-Hollywood — anti-everything, really! It was nihilistic. I liked that.”
Is there a Walking Dead Rick Grimes movie?. dark. Next
Follow Undead Walking on Twitter and sign up for the once-daily Undead Walking newsletter to avoid missing out on everything in The Walking Dead universe.