AMC has settled its final profit participation lawsuit related to "The Walking Dead" franchise for $120 million, concluding over a decade of legal disputes. The agreement, reached over the recent holiday weekend, includes $85 million paid this month and an additional $35 million scheduled for next year. This settlement resolves claims brought by "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman and producers Glen Mazzara, David Alpert, Charles Eglee, and Gale Anne Hurd.
The litigation stemmed from allegations that AMC improperly calculated and withheld profits owed to the producers from "The Walking Dead," its first spinoff "Fear the Walking Dead," and the aftershow "Talking Dead." This marks the end of 13 years of legal battles for AMC concerning the popular zombie series, which first premiered in 2010 and became a significant hit for the network.
Earlier legal challenges involved "The Walking Dead" developer Frank Darabont, who filed two lawsuits against AMC. The first, filed in 2013 after his departure early in the show's second season, claimed wrongful termination and entitlement to profits. A second lawsuit was filed in 2018 over additional alleged withheld profits. Darabont had previously reached a settlement with AMC in 2021. Darabont also accused AMC of engaging in "self-dealing," where the network allegedly sold the show to itself at inflated internal prices, thereby reducing external profit participation for creators.
The lawsuit filed by Kirkman and the other producers in 2017 also alleged that AMC's practices of "self-dealing" shortchanged them on their share of the franchise's profits. Following AMC's settlement with Darabont, the network attempted to have the Kirkman-led lawsuit dismissed, but the court noted that a "Most Favored Nations" clause in their agreements meant Kirkman and his co-producers were entitled to a similar settlement.
Despite the extensive litigation, "The Walking Dead" franchise has continued to be a financial success for AMC. The network recently secured a new $500 million licensing deal with Netflix for the franchise, underscoring its ongoing value. The total amount paid by AMC to settle all "Walking Dead"-related profit disputes now stands at $320 million.