The creator of the hit television series The Walking Dead and a talent agency are suing AMC over profits from the show.
Frank Darabont developed the series with Creative Artists Agency for AMC in 2010 but was forced off the show before the second season. He says now the cable network has robbed him of “tens of millions of dollars” in profit through unfair “self-dealing,” the Los Angeles Times reports. In a complaint filed with the New York Supreme Court on Tuesday, the plaintiffs claim Darabont was wrongly fired from the series and that AMC pays an artificially low licensing rate to the affiliate that produced the show.
“Darabont is being deprived of tens of millions of dollars in profits, despite delivering to AMC the most popular show on all of television and the most popular show in the history of cable,” the lawsuit said.
AMC declined to comment to the Times.
Walking Dead has courted record viewership for cable TV this year, with 16.1 million people watching the premiere. It’s challenged even Sunday Night Football in the ratings on Sunday evenings.