'The Walking Dead' season 8 to have an extended premiere

The season eight premiere of "The Walking Dead" has been confirmed to have an extended runtime.

The episode, which will be the 100th of the show, will be 67 minutes long, including advertisements, reported DigitalSpy.

The new installment is directed by Greg Nicotero and will include a glimpse at Old Man Rick, which was teased in the Comic-Con trailer.

The official season eight plot synopsis reads, "The battle lines are drawn as (Rick's group, played by Andrew Lincoln) launch into a kinetic, action-packed offensive. Up until now, survival has been the focus of Rick and our group, but it's not enough. They have to fight to take back their freedom so that they can live. So that they can rebuild.

"As with any battle, there will be losses. Casualties. But with Rick leading the Alexandrian forces, Maggie leading the Hilltop, and King Ezekiel leading the Kingdom - Negan and the Saviors' grip on this world may finally be coming to an end."

The eighth season of the series airs October 22 in the US and October 23 in the UK.