‘The Walking Dead’ Fan Film Sets The Bar For AMC’s Pending Pilot

Despite the fact that Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" finally got the go-ahead for a full-fledged pilot shoot this coming May, it's seemed like a slow march for fans who've been waiting for movement since AMC's initial television series option was announced in August of '09. One group of cinematically-inclined fans, however, have chosen to tide fans over with an adaptation of a key scene from TWD #51 and, by golly, it seems to do the trick.

The admittedly zombie-less short sees protagonist Rick struggle through a mysterious phone call while his young son looks on with concern. It's an incredibly faithful recreation of Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard's story and features emotional performances and solid camera work. By the scene's end, longtime readers will very likely feel the positive intent of director and star Brian Bedell.

Seeing what a fan is capable of should definitely comfort skeptical fans. By augmenting their considerable resources with an attitude approaching Bedell's, AMC stands a chance of doing the ongoing zombie drama justice.

Give it a view after the jump. It's SFW, but it's definitely not spoiler-free so watch at your own potential reading risk.

[Via MTV Splash Page]