MTV just posted an interview with "Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman about the zombie comic's development as an AMC TV show, and it's all still good news. Frank Darabont, director of "The Shawshank Redemption," is still on board, and Kirkman seems enthused at the level of respect AMC is bringing for the source material -- i.e. no one has come into the meetings and said "We want the zombies to have super powers."

Interestingly, he's not only given his blessing for Darabont to veer significantly from the comic book plot, he's actually encouraged it:

KIRKMAN: I've told Frank flat-out that I do not want him to follow the comic to the detriment of the show. I encourage him to veer off if he has something that will work really well on TV that wouldn't work in a comic. I don't want people who enjoy the comic to be watching the TV show and going, "Oh, this is leading to that one thing I already know about from the comic."

Given Darabont's experience with prison drama, I'm interested to see whether they choose to make the group's hideout in a prison a major or even primary element of the series. "Shawshank Redemption vs. Zombies" may sound flip, but if you're read the excellent comic, you'll remember that it plays out as a pretty horrifying human drama.

Can't wait!

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