'The Walking Dead' to return on Oct. 22

July 20 (UPI) -- Season 8 of The Walking Dead is to premiere Oct. 22 on AMC.

The zombie apocalypse drama wrapped up its seventh season on April 2 with Rick Grimes [played by Andrew Lincoln] and his rag-tag band of survivors preparing to go to war with the villain Negan [played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan] and his countless minions.

Production on the show's Georgia set was temporarily halted last week when a stuntman was fatally injured falling 25 feet from a balcony.