Big news today for AMC's The Walking Dead, as the network has announced that the zombie show has been renewed for an eighth season. The renewal comes before Season 7 has even begun, as the first episode will premiere on October 23.

　　AMC announced the renewal in a tweet today. According to EW, Season 8 will debut in late 2017, beginning with the show's 100th episode. Showrunner Scott Gimple is coming back.

　　Killer news! #TWD is returning for Season 8 in 2017. https://t.co/zxh06yqF5q pic.twitter.com/MU2CBOQdvi

　　— The Walking Dead AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) October 17, 2016

　　"Eeny, meeny, miny, more," AMC president Charlie Collier said in a statement, referencing a Negan line. "What a joy to partner with Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, and some of the hardest-working people in television to bring The Walking Dead to the fans. And, most important, thanks to those fans for breathing life into this remarkable series right along with us."

　　The Walking Dead Season 6 ended with a controversial cliffhanger, in which Negan claimed the life of one of the show's main characters. During the Walking Dead panel at this summer's San Diego Comic-Con, star Andrew Lincoln confirmed that viewers would discover which character has been killed during the premiere episode. "It's a really s****y start to the season [for the characters]," he said, as reported by Variety.

　　In a recent interview with EW, Negan actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan admitted that even he didn't know who his victim was while he was shooting those scenes. "They did not tell me," he said. "I don't know that anybody knew on that particular evening, and if they did, no one has copped to me. But I certainly didn't know."

　　For more on The Walking Dead's upcoming seventh season, check out GameSpot's new feature, "5 Things You Need to Know About Season 7."