'Grey's Anatomy': Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh And More Will Return; Sign Two-Year Deals (REPORT)

Meredith, McDreamy & More Sign On For More 'Grey's Anatomy'
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"Grey's Anatomy" will reportedly be back with its key castmembers, according to TVLine.

Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers, James Pickens, Jr. and Chandra Wilson have all signed on for two more years with the ABC medical drama, although the network has yet to officially order a "Grey's Anatomy" Season 9 or Season 10.

Fans have been eager to find out about Pompeo and Dempsey's fates on "Grey's Anatomy" (Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC) -- which is now in its eighth season -- since the actors' contracts were expiring. "If I hear from the fans that they want us to keep going, then I would continue because we owe them everything," Pompeo told TV Guide in October 2011.

"I have a family to support, and why not have a discussion about continuing?" Dempsey said in December. "The question is will I do a full season, a half season or come back at all?"

Showrunner Shonda Rhimes has been teasing a main character death in the upcoming Season 8 finale (Thursday, May 13). She told TV Guide, ""When one of your main characters dies, it always affects the heart and soul of the hospital." Many viewers speculated it would be Pompeo (Meredith Grey) or Dempsey (Derek Shepherd) due to their contracts ending.

But it now seems like Meredith and Derek, who are choosing between Seattle and leaving for Boston -- along with Cristina Yang (Oh), Alex Karev (Chambers), Chief Webber (Pickens, Jr.) and Bailey (Wilson) -- will survive and return to Seattle Grace.

So whose "Grey's" life will come to an end? "It's a special one this year," "Grey's" star Jesse Williams told HuffPost of the finale. "It's important and it's tragic."

Who do you think will die in the finale? And will you be watching "Grey's" if/when it returns for Season 9?

"Grey's Anatomy" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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