'The Walking Dead' Already Renewed For Eighth Season

Season Seven of "The Walking Dead" starts Sunday, when an agonizing off-season will mercifully end and the resolution of Season Six's brutal cliffhanger will presumably be revealed.

But studio executives aren't waiting around with the green light, announcing that the Georgia-filmed zombie apocalypse saga will be back on AMC next year for an eighth season.

In a news release and on a two-hour "The Walking Dead" special that aired Sunday, the cable network announced that Season Eight is a go for late 2017.

It will be a 16-episode season. Chris Hardwick's follow-up chat show, "Talking Dead," also was renewed and will continue running immediately after each week's episode, The Hollywood Reporter said.

The early renewal, before a single episode of Season Seven airs, is a sign of the show's runaway hit status for AMC.

And Sunday night's show may be its most anticipated episode ever.

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As Season Six fades to a close, newly introduced villain Negan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, appears to have killed one of the show's main characters — but it's unclear which one.

"Eeny, meeny, miny, more,” AMC president Charlie Collier said in a statement announcing Season Eight. The line alludes to Negan's line just before the season's fateful end.

"What a joy to partner with Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple and some of the hardest-working people in television to bring 'The Walking Dead' to the fans," Collier continued. "And, most important, thanks to those fans for breathing life into this remarkable series right along with us."

The show holds a special place in the hearts of fans in Georgia, where it has been almost exclusively filmed since Season One.

Production was briefly moved to Virginia for part of Season Six, but returned to Georgia for all of Season Seven.

Photo courtesy AMC.com