It's been 15 years since The Walking Dead first premiered on AMC, and it's hard to believe that so much time has passed. No one could have imagined that a show about a zombie apocalypse would resonate so deeply with audiences around the world, or that it would grow into a cultural phenomenon that would change television forever. But it did, and fans are still just as obsessed today as they were when the show first came out.
What’s even more fascinating is the surprising creative thread that links The Walking Dead to another modern phenomenon: Stranger Things. You're probably asking yourself, What does a sci-fi series filled with supernatural mysteries and parallel dimensions have to do with a gritty, post-apocalyptic zombie drama? The answer lies behind the camera.
Former Walking Dead showrunner Frank Darabont worked on Stranger Things 5
We're not telling any lies! Frank Darabont, the mastermind who developed and executive-produced the first season and the first half of the second season of The Walking Dead, also directed two episodes of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Those two episodes are episodes 3 and 5, titled "The Turnbow Trap" and “Shock Jock."
Darabont hadn't directed a television series since his short-lived neo-noir crime drama Mob City in 2013, so this marks a huge return for him to the small screen. But how did he end up back in the director’s chair after more than a decade away from TV?
In a new interview with Deadline, Darabont told the news outlet that it all started when he met with Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer for lunch. What was meant to be a casual meeting quickly turned into an unexpected opportunity. The Duffers called Darabont afterward and asked if he’d like to direct an episode of the fifth season. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was that it would grow into two episodes.
Darabont also shared with Deadline his favorite moment he filmed for Stranger Things 5, which involved David Harbour’s character (Jim Hopper) interrogating Alex Breaux’s character (Lt. Robert Akers).
Some Walking Dead fans might recall that Darabont was abruptly fired from the hit zombie series in July 2011. AMC stated that their reason for firing him was because he was inexperienced in running a television series and that his leadership had created a “threatening and toxic” work environment.
Darabont had even sued the network over profits owed from the series. In July 2021, the dispute was finally resolved when AMC settled with Darabont and his agency for $200 million. In addition to the cash, Darabont also secured a share of the revenue from future streaming of The Walking Dead and its spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead.