'The Walking Dead': Showrunner Frank Darabont Stepping Down ?

At last weekend's Comic-Con panel, executive producer Frank Darabont promised that the season picks up just five minutes after the end, so there's none of what he called "this six months later crap." This season finds them pretty much constantly on the run - including an epic sequence where they have to cross a zombie-infested highway - with even the small safety net of last year's camp gone. They will eventually reach a minor safe haven at Herschel's farm, which will introduce a bunch of new characters, but it sounds like the season might essentially be one long chase scene.

Sources confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Darabont, the creator, executive producer and director of the zombie hit based on the comics by Robert Kirkman, is stepping down as showrunner. Whether the former feature film director will stay on with the series remains unclear.

Darabont gave no indication that he was considering stepping down during his panel at Comic-Con, noting that conversations were currently under way to cast three major roles for the upcoming second season.

In late May, however, Darabont told THR that he feared budget cuts would hurt the series but he had no other creative complaints at the time.

“Creatively I have no complaints thus far,” Darabont said at the time. “But I believe if they do move ahead with what they’re talking about [with budget cuts], it will affect the show creatively ... in a negative way. Which just strikes me as odd. If you have an asset, why would you punish it?”

Season 2 of The Walking Dead premieres Sunday, October 16th.