Paging Dr. Lecter

Thomas Harris's Dr. Hannibal Lecter is one of the most popular horror figures of the past quarter century, and Hollywood has never stopped trying to capitalize on the fact. While he hasn't been subjected to the same glut of multitudinous sequels and reboots as Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhies, Dr. Lecter has featured in five different theatrical films: "Manhunter" (1986), the Michael Mann film where Lecter was played by Brian Cox, Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991), which won the Big Five at the Academy Awards, Ridley Scott's "Hannibal" (2001), Brett Ratner's "Red Dragon" (2002), which was both a remake of "Manhunter" and a sequel, and finally Peter Webber's much derided prequel, "Hannibal Rising" (2007).

Now Hannibal Lecter is coming to television. Not one, but two shows based on the characters in the Lecter series are in the works. Lifetime has "Clarice," about the early adventures of Agent Clarice Starling, to be produced by MGM. However, the project getting all the attention right now is "Hannibal," a different prequel series focusing on Dr. Lecter's days as a forensic psychiatrist for the FBI, working with young agent Will Graham. If you're familiar with "Manhunter," this working relationship does not end well. Bryan Fuller is developing "Hannibal" for NBC, and the leads have already been cast. Hugh Dancy, is onboard as Will Graham, a good move for an actor who has been getting no traction in his film projects lately. The real surprise came yesterday with the announcement that Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, fresh from a Best Actor Award win at the Cannes Film Festival, will be playing our Hannibal the Pre-Cannibal. Americans probably know him best as the villain from "Casino Royale," but he's an excellent leading man known for intense performances.

Why on earth are we getting both of these projects now? Well, "Silence of the Lambs" was released in 1991, which puts it in the right timeframe for a nostalgic reboot. Keep in mind that we're also getting new "Sherlock Holmes," "Dallas," and "Beauty and the Beast" series, plus a "Sex and the City" prequel. And apparently that "Munsters" prequel is far from dead yet. I'm also guessing that what makes the main characters in the Hannibal Lecter series an especially promising fit for television is that they were all employed by the FBI at one point or another. The networks are always trying to find new angles on the standard crime procedural that has become more and more prevalent over the years. Having a secret serial killer as one of the good guys is certainly a strong twist, even if "Dexter" got there first. Clarice Starling would seem to be a perfect fit for Lifetime, which has been steadily moving into dramatic territory, as she's one of the only film heroines in law enforcement that anyone remembers.

Will people tune in though? NBC is taking a risk by letting Bryan Fuller follow the cable model, only producing thirteen episodes per season, which will be heavily serialized. The quality should be higher than average, but the trouble with cable shows is that they often attract smaller audiences than the network television model can afford to sustain. "Hannibal" will certainly benefit from the name recognition and the juicy premise. However, I can't help thinking about the last 90s blockbuster film turned NBC television procedural, "The Firm," with Josh Lucas. It certainly had ambition, good talent, and the production values were very impressive. It also got nowhere in the ratings, one of three NBC casualties of the Thursday 10PM slot last season. There's not much information available about "Clarice" yet, but I expect that a lot is going to depend on who gets recruited to fill Jodie Foster's Oscar-winning shoes.

And on that note, I can't wait to see whether Mads Mikkelsen is going to be able to pull off Hannibal Lecter. His involvement now has me very curious about the show, where previously I'd been ambivalent about its prospects. If all goes well, we may be able to add Hannibal Lecter to the growing list of television anti-heroes that have been at the center of so many great shows in recent years. I don't feel that there is any particular need to revisit Hannibal Lecter, but if the studio insists, I find this a much better alternative to more film sequels and reboots. We're long past the point where a television spinoff means low rent genre schlock like "Poltergeist: The Legacy" or "Friday the 13th: The Series" (a beloved guilty pleasure). If NBC can land Mikkelsen for "Hannibal," they deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Crossing my fingers.
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