These People Were Made For Biting: The Opening Scene Of "The Walking Dead" Mid-Season Premiere Is Here (Plus A New Casting Rumor)
By Rob Payne | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (13)
If only I’d waited a day or so, I could have provided this news and video with the mid-season trailer for “The Walking Dead” together. So, let’s not waste any time. First, the rumor:
Movie Web recently interviewed iconic horror movie make-up/effects artist, actor, and occasional director, Tom Savini about his new film The Theatre Bizarre. Being that Savini has a long history in the zombie genre — he was in both Dawn of the Deads and directed the (unintentionally horrific) Night of the Living Dead remake — it was only inevitable until he was asked about “The Walking Dead.” Naturally, Savini is a fan of the TV show and the graphic novels on which they’re based, and keeps asking his longtime friend, and fellow creature feature make-up maestro, Greg Nicotero for a part on the AMC drama. Specifically, he wants the part of The Governor, mainly, it seems, because the character was practically (if not actually) made in his image.
Sadly for Savini, but definitely not for audiences of “The Walking Dead,” AMC has an Oscar nominated (if that means anything anymore) actor in mind for the role (emphasis is mine):
“He [Nicotero] said John Hawkes. Well, I never heard of John Hawkes. But then he reminds me that we were in From Dusk Till Dawn together. He is the guy at the beginning in the store that fires on them. Apparently he was up for an Academy Award. He was up for something called Winter’s Bone. That’s whom they are going after for The Governor.”
For what it’s worth, I forgot John Hawkes was in From Dusk Till Dawn, too.
And for those unfamiliar with the source material, The Governor plays a fairly important role in the comics. Ahem. Without saying too much about it, there’s been a rumor going since season one that Michael Rooker’s broad stereotype Merl would end up being the TV show’s take on The Governor. That alone should tell you a lot about the comic book character, but John Hawkes would add another necessary dimension to the hot-tempered, redneck asshole: Charm. The Governor is one manipulative S.O.B., so I imagine Hawkes would come at the role similarly to what he did for Martha Marcy May Marlene. At the very least, there are some definite mind-gaming overlaps that he could easily exploit.
Regardless, The Governor, whomever he may end up being, probably won’t show up to harangue Rick and his gang before season three. Until then we’ve still got Herschel’s farm, though, by the looks of the first three minutes of the mid-season premiere that may not last much longer. Well, we can certainly hope. Take a look:
This show always gets those quiet, dazed and confused moments just right, and that was no different. But I saw another, longer version that continued with Rick and Shane after their questioning of What Did Herschel Know, And When Did He Know It… I’ll just say that if you were tired of these people bickering at each other before now, and wondering why no zombies ever seem to be within earshot when they fire their guns, those feelings won’t be fading away any time soon.
But, hey, that zombie death was pretty gnarly, right? You can watch the whole thing again on February 12.
Rob Payne also writes the indie comic The Unstoppable Force, tweets on the Twitter @RobOfWar, and his ware can be purchased here (if you’re into that sort of thing). He thinks it’s too bad Tom Savini didn’t ask about Michonne, whom Viola Davis could certainly play.
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Comments
Posted by: sarah at February 1, 2012 9:10 AM
Made my morning.