Exclusive: Glen Mazzara Talks Life After The Walking Dead

2013/02/18 18:02:21 +00:00 | Jonathan James

It was announced late last year that The Walking Dead's fourth season would be moving forward without Glen Mazzara, who took over for Frank Darabont in Season 2 and was the showrunner for the entire third season. I recently had a chance to talk with Glen Mazzara about a number of topics, and for the last part of our feature, I received a status update on his Season 3 work, we discussed his favorite memories of working on The Walking Dead, and he teased upcoming projects:

Are you completely done with your work on The Walking Dead Season 3? Or are you still working on edits for the final episodes?

Glen Mazzara: I'm completely done. I told the story we had to tell and that I wanted to tell. I've delivered all of my material to AMC and I'm very happy with what I've delivered. I've cleaned out my office and I'm moving onto my next project.

Looking back at your work on Seasons 2 and 3, what are your favorite memories from working on The Walking Dead?

Glen Mazzara: The greatest takeaway is the connection with the fans. That's been a completely mind-blowing experience. To be in the trenches and working hard on the show, and to have such an emotional reaction from people all over the world is incredibly touching and rewarding. That means a lot to me and is something I don't believe can be repeated.

I've been happy to work with an incredibly talented cast and crew. It's the hardest working crew in the film industry. I've worked with a lot of talented people and I look forward to working with those people again.

To tell an incredibly complicated story over 16 episodes, take chances, and to push myself and the entire outfit has been a lot of fun. It's also been a lot of work because we never settled. Something could be in great shape, but we still asked, "Is this the best we can do?" We always strive for perfection, which is why I rewrote as much as I did, it's why we re-edited as much as we did. I was always looking for a way to make the show better.

To have it connect in such a heartfelt way around the world is the best part of The Walking Dead. You feel like this work has a place in these people's hearts.

Aside from Norman Reedus, you're probably the most active of the cast and crew on Twitter. Do you plan to continue talking with fans and keeping followers updated on your other projects?

Glen Mazzara: I will. I enjoy Twitter and have a lot of people I interact with. I don't think I'll ever be a person who does running social or political commentary, but as long as people are interested in interacting with me, I'll keep doing it. Some people play Angry Birds, but I Tweet and I really enjoy it.

I know you're not ready to officially announce anything at this moment, but have you already decided on you next project? Are you working on multiple projects?

Glen Mazzara: I'll have a few announcements soon. I have some things I'm laying the groundwork on, and it's too early to discuss right now, but I'm very interested in creating a show. I'm also pursuing a film, and I have some ideas for other shows. I don't want to speak prematurely, but I have some passion projects I've been carrying around for a long time, and hopefully I'll be given the chance to bring them to the screen.

You were a big part of the San Diego and New York Comic-Cons last year. Do you plan on attending this year?

Glen Mazzara: I haven't gotten into that yet. I wouldn't be part of The Walking Dead and I don't know if people are interested in me talking, but I always have a great time at Comic-Con. I'm a geek and I love to load up on stuff. My son was asking the other day about Comic-Con and he's really dying to go. If there's a way I could go, I'd love to.

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Catch up on our recent coverage by visiting the links below. Upcoming coverage includes photos and videos from Episode 311 later today, a Walking Dead collectibles interview, and a set visit report later this month.