UPDATE: So, the below story ran about 20 minutes before I received word from Variety that the pilot has been greenlit and that Jon Bernthal (“The Pacific”) has been cast in the lead role and that we’ll see it on the screen this October.

Jon Bernthal (“The Pacific”) has been cast in a lead role. The series revolves around police officer Rick Grimes, who leads a group of human survivors on a search for a safe home in a world overrun by zombies. AMC greenlighted production of a “Walking Dead” pilot back in January but ultimately decided to go straight to series after hearing Darabont’s vision for a six-episode arc, and because of the desire to tie in with “Fearfest.”

What we ran about 30 minutes ago:

Bloody Disgusting has received word that JonnyLee Miller (Angelina Jolie’s Ex-Wife) who is best known for his roles in Hackers and Trainspotting is the front runner in talks to join the cast of The Walking Dead TV series on AMC as Rick Grimes.

We reported earlier that Jamie Bamber, Mark Pellegrino, and Stuart Townsend were up for the role.  We have since learned that Bamber and Townsend are definitely out.  Bamber was approached, but word has it that he was too short for the part.  We were iffy on the information about Townsend in the firstplace and it has since been denied.  Pellegrino, however, as far as we can tell is still somewhere in the running and is definitely (or was at press time) in the running for the part.

So, with Bloody Disgusting’s information, we have two names left that are possibilities: Mark Pellegrino and Jonny Lee Miller.

Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Jonny Lee Miller is the front runner, and we have received no information that says otherwise, and they’re a reliable source.  So, that’s where things are at.