The premiere date and several announcements regarding the much-awaited fifth season of "The Walking Dead," were made on Friday at the San Diego Comic-Con 2014, and it was revealed that the upcoming season will stick pretty close to the comics.
The season five premiere will air on Oct. 12, and it will pick up immediately following the events of the season four finale, with Rick and gang trapped in Terminus.
Showrunner Scott Gimple revealed at the event that Rick and company will eventually get out of Terminus, but he refused to say when or how. However, he added that the story behind Terminus is sure to keep fans of the zombie drama hooked on to the show.
"Once they lost the prison, all bets were off," Gimple said, according to TVLine. "They did find out that you can't come back from the things that you've done. … This season is going to define these characters. … We're going to see the story of Terminus. We're going to see how it happened."
"We'll probably revisit a few places you'll recognize … but there are new worlds being introduced as well," added exec producer Greg Nicotero.
A trailer for season five was also released at the event that showed Rick and gang trapped in the train car, surrounded by cannibals.
"From the opening tease in the premiere onward, season 5 is without question the most ambitious and satisfying season this amazing team has ever crafted," AMC president Charlie Collier said in a statement cited by Entertainment Weekly.
"In the zombie apocalypse, event television is alive and well, and I am proud to acknowledge that this uniquely talented writing staff, production team, and cast have once again raised the bar (and the crossbow)," Collier added.
Ever since season four ended, speculations have been rife about the death of a major character, and the trailer shows that no one is safe in season five.
Show creator Robert Kirkman has already teased the death of at least one major character, and many fans believe it could either be Daryl or Beth, who was last seen kidnapped by what most presume to be Father Gabriel Stokes.
Talking about the body count in the next season, Kirkman told The Hollywood Reporter last month that it is extremely likely that the fan favorites will die.
"It's always highly likely, though I wouldn't say that it's any more likely than it ever is, but it is always extremely likely," Kirkamn told The Hollywood Reporter. "We did pull back on the reins a little bit at the end of season four. We're definitely going to hit the ground running for season five and we really don't let up very quickly at all. It's going to be a pretty fast-paced, intense season."
