AMC's 'Walking Dead' panel: 'This is big'

Could the best zombie project ever be a TV show instead of a movie?

The trailer for AMC's zombie apocalypse drama "The Walking Dead" looks amazing (will have it posted when it's released). Very cinematic. From this brief look, "Walking Dead" could rival "28 Days Later" as a modern zombie classic.

I had a sense of this early in the panel. You can tell when a group isn't entirely thrilled with the product they're presenting. This crew radiated confidence. Hell, they showed the trailer twice.

"You hear every TV series say 'were doing six one-hour movies," said producer Gale Anne Hurd. "We really are doing six one-hour movies. This is big."

There was also a big announcement: Terrific "Battlestar Galactica" composer Bear McCreary is going to score the music for "Walking Dead."

Also, an interesting tidbit: Both Robert Kirkman, writer of the original graphic novel, and the producers all seem enthusiastically agreed that the show will not follow the same path at the comic.

"The path is a very strong template," said producer Frank Darabont. "But we're going to take every interesting detour we feel like taking. As long as were staying on the path of what Robert has done, I don't see any reason not to. If they have patience we'll eventually catch up to what Robert is doing."

"I want the comic and the show to exist separately and have just as many surprises," Kirkman said. "I think you guys are all going to be blown away."

Basically, it was a lovefest among the cast and producers, though Lincoln took a moment to bash California for not offering tax incentives for filmmakers ("Walking Dead" shot in Georgia).

"If California ever gets it's shit togged and offer a tax credit … the eagle fucking screams we're streching the dollar so tight," Darabont said. "I'd love to sleep in my own bed … it's tough when they're offering a 30% tax credit. So write to Schwarzenegger." 

Darabont also said they might be able to offer a black-and-white version of the pilot on the DVD, like he did with "The Mist."