For years, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to pass on his precious to a director. That director is Frank Darabont.

Instead of harnessing the beloved comic books into a movie, The Green Mile director is taking the undead to the small screen with AMC.

“This is not about zombies popping out of closets. This is a story about survival, and the dynamics of what happens when a group is forced to survive under these circumstances. The world (in Walking Dead) is portrayed in a smart, sophisticated way,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s senior veep of programming, production and original content.