NBC has purchased the hour-long drama series Hannibal from L.A.-based independent studio Gaumont International Television (GIT). The show, which is written and executive produced by Bryan Fuller and Martha De Launtiis, is the studio’s first U.S. sale. It will focus on the popular literary and film character Hannibal Lecter.
Deadline is reporting that Fuller is developing a script against a 13-episode commitment. If NBC executives like the script, Hannibal won’t go through a pilot stage, and will instead go straight to series. The network has a short period of time to pick the series up after receiving Fuller’s script. GIT will fund Hannibal through a mix of a U.S. network license fee and international sales. Several international sales are already in the works.
Fuller signed onto write and produce Hannibal because he said he loves the dark, sick side of the character. De Laurentiis had previous involvement with the character, as she produced the films Hannibal, Red Dragon and Hannibal Rising.
There’s no word yet who will portray Hannibal, who was originally made famous by Anthony Hopkins in his Academy Award-winning performance in The Silence of the Lambs. Given the popularity of the character and film series, the success of the show heavily depends on the casting of the title character.
Who do you think should take on the role of one of horror’s most iconic roles?