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Photo courtesy of AMC
Summary: The creator of “The Walking Dead” breaks his silence on why he was fired from the hit show.
Showrunner Frank Darabont has risen to annihilate AMC.
The creator of “The Walking Dead” didn’t hold back in his testimony against the show’s network, AMC. Darabont and his agents at CAA claim AMC breached his contract and withheld millions of dollars by making a deal licensing the show to itself, The Hollywood Reporter wrote.
“Darabont was entitled to get as much as 10 percent of profits from the series, but because he was terminated in the middle of the second season, AMC only counted him as three-quarters vested, meaning he only got 7.5 percent,” The Hollywood Reporter said.
In newly unsealed court documents, Darabont said essentially that executives were causing problems for him as a showrunner. For instance, he said that despite the show’s success, AMC created problems by cutting the budget from $3.4 million to $3 million.
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“That was bad enough, but then they dropped the bomb on us that, oh by the way, they’re keeping the tax credit,” Darabont said. “They’re going to pocket the tax credit. So, between the two you’ve got a full 25 percent cut across the board.”
Darabont explained that in his leadership role, he had to not only write episodes but also handle production aspects such as securing hard to get locations. He said that while he and his cast and crew worked hard in the Georgia sun, AMC executives hid in their air-conditioned tents with little knowledge of what was actually happening on set. He also accused AMC’s Vice President of Scripted Programming, Susie Fitzgerald, of lying to him.
Although Darabont’s work relationship with AMC sounded toxic, it also seemed like he was getting the job done. So why was he fired from the show he created?
Darabont said AMC “concocted” a reason — that he never had tone meetings with directors. This charge is one Darabont says is absolutely not true.
Darabont’s replacement, showrunner Glen Mazzara (“The Shield”), confirmed in a testimony that Darabont was not treated fairly. However, AMC stands strong that they were not in breach of contract.
“Frank Darabont has made it clear that he has strong opinions about AMC and the events that led to his departure from “The Walking Dead.” The reality is that he has been paid millions of dollars under the terms of his contract, which we honored, and we will continue to vigorously defend against this lawsuit,” AMC told The Hollywood Reporter.
Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/walking-dead-creator-frank-darabonts-852491
