Entertainment One has acquired the international distribution rights to the AMC zombie drama The Walking Dead from Fox International Channels.

Entertainment One will handle broadcast TV rights and digital/DVD rights to AMC’s first original drama about the aftermath of a zombie invasion in all markets, excluding North America.

The Toronto-based distributor will also sell basic TV and pay TV rights in Scandinavia, Australia and France.

“The anticipation and online buzz around this series has been phenomenal,” Peter Emerson, president of Entertainment One Television International said ahead of a planned international multi-platform roll-out of the AMC drama starting at MIPCOM.

The Walking Dead will debut on Halloween stateside, and a second season of the drama is reportedly already in the works.

“From the beginning, we were impressed by eOne’s well thought-out plans to distribute The Walking Dead,” Hernan Lopez, president and COO of Fox International Channels said of Entertainment One’s exploitation of the global franchise.

The Walking Dead is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, who is also executive producing along with writer and director Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd of Valhalla Motion Pictures.