After lengthy negotiations, Showtime has closed a new two-year deal with Dexter star Michael C. Hall. With him locked in, the pay cable network has renewed its flagship series for 2 more seasons, bringing the series’ run to 8 seasons. Each season will consist of 12 episodes, with production on Season 7 slated to begin next year in Los Angeles. “Dexter‘s enormous success is a real tribute to the great achievements of its cast, producers, and the powerhouse performance of Michael C. Hall,” Showtime entertainment president David Nevins said. “The series is bigger than it’s ever been in its sixth season, both in terms of audience and its impact on the cultural landscape.” This past week, Dexter inched up again in the ratings for a fifth consecutive week, delivering 1.99 million viewers (2.61 million for the night), the show’s largest audience since the sixth season premiere. Season-to-date, the dark drama averages 5.12 million viewers per week on all platforms. “On behalf of the entire Dexter family, we relish the invitation to delve ever deeper into Dexter’s world,” said Hall, who is executive producing the show with John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Scott Buck and Manny Coto. The deal with Hall comes after some tense moments last month when Hall and Showtime reached an impasse after the two sides couldn’t bridge a $4 million gap in proposed salary for a new deal, with Showtime offering $20 million for two more seasons and Hall’s team asking for $24 million. That gap has now been bridged.