Bryan Fuller’s proposed series about Hannibal Lecter is now an NBC project, according to Deadline Hollywood.
Fuller, genius creator of “Dead Like Me,” “Wonderfalls” and “Pushing Daisies,” is now hard at work scripting a pilot that would examine the early relationship shared by serial killer Hannibal Lecter and FBI profiler Will Graham.
Fuller recently spent a lot of time on the NBC Universal payroll, at first trying to help with “Heroes,” then developing a number of pilots for the company. If NBC likes Fuller script, NBC will skip the pilot stage and put in an order for 13 episodes.
Graham was the troubled hero of “Red Dragon,” Thomas Harris’ first Lecter novel, which was made into Michael Mann’s excellent 1986 thriller “Manhunter” (starring Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor) and Brett Ratner’s rather less accomplished 2002 Anthony Hopkins remake.
The “Red Dragon” novel begins long after Graham captured Lecter. The new series would presumably deal with Graham hunting Lecter down.
“CSI” icon William Petersen played Graham in the 1986 movie; Edward Norton stepped into the role for the remake.
“The Silence of the Lambs,” which depicts (among many other things) Lecter’s escape, was the Graham-free sequel to “Red Dragon.”
Martha De Laurentiis, a member of the filmmaking clan behind all five Lecter movies, is producing the series as well.
Find all of Deadline’s exclusive on the matter here.
