Cool News
Is Lifetime Developing
THE SILENCE OF THE
LAMBS: THE SERIES??
Lifetime is developing a series that would follow FBI special agent Clarice Starling, the character played by Jodie Foster in “Silence of the Lambs” and Julianne Moore in “Hannibal,” according to TV Guide.
The series, “Clarice,” would follow Starling in her seven Lecter-free years between “Lambs” and “Hannibal.”
“Clarice” is not to be confused with “Hannibal,” the midseason NBC series that follows the crimefighting adventures of FBI special agent Will Graham and psychoanalyst Hannibal Lecter before Graham learned Lecter was a serial killer. The NBC series is mastermined by writer-prouducer Bryan Fuller (“Dead Like Me,” “Wonderfalls,” “Pushing Daisies”).
The NBC series takes its characters from the Thomas Harris novel “Red Dragon.” Harris’ novel “The Silence of the Lambs” is a sequel to “Red Dragon.”
Find all of TV Guide’s exclusive on the matter here.
CHEAPEST BLU ROCKY EVER!!
$5 Per Blu Movie!! SALE ENDS TODAY!!
Readers Talkback
comments powered by Disqus-
+ Expand All
-
Poor little Catherine is waiting.
-
Pure West Virginia!
-
May 26, 2012, 4:38 p.m. CST
This will be weird, because I have no doubt at all that they will introduce Lector in some capacity in "Clarice", so we could have two Lector's on TV
by FreeBeer
-
May 26, 2012, 4:39 p.m. CST
Although I wouldn't mind a sequel to Hannibal, ignoring it's existance as a recurring nightmare of Clarice's. Awful film based on a ludicrous book
by FreeBeer
-
I always wondered what Starling was up to in those years in between SOTL and Hannibal...could be a great series but I'm not sure if Lifetime is the right network
-
May 26, 2012, 5 p.m. CST
I was just about to make a "Lifetime Channel" joke but tigger_tales beat me to it.
by Chris
-
So what does Tigger win if the series comes out, and it contains one or ALL of the plot points he mentions?
-
A follow up to "Hannibal" sounds like it would have much more potential, plus it wouldn't be held back by a late 80s/early 90s style which would make it feel really dated.
-
As Clarice.
-
'Hannibal', 'The Following' and now 'Clarice'. What is the difference between them all? I can imagine the filler eps for all of them, all will be "Serial Killer of the Week". Looks like the race ison to make the Silence of the Lambs series.
-
Will get some more work. finally!!!
-
Or become seriously wounded. Since the series is between Silence and Hannibal.
-
Because that's all that matters.
-
May 26, 2012, 7:09 p.m. CST
Sponsored by Carnivale Chianti and Bob's Red Mill Fava Beans
by AlienFanatic
-
May 26, 2012, 7:11 p.m. CST
Always wondered what another Thomas Harris book would be like.
by lochkray
Man, he got caught up on the whole Hannibal Lecter thing. I really liked Red Dragon, Silence, and even thought Hannibal was fine until the wacky ending (and at least that was wickedly disturbing) - but MAN Hannibal Rising was an awful book. I actually thought the movie was waaay better, and it wasn't good. I just wondered if Harris actually went to write something else, instead of flogging that horse over-and-over-and-over-and-over, if he could come up with another wonderful story. I mean, Hannibal was a secondary character in Red Dragon, and more of a personification of the protagonist's issues (due to the fact he caused them) rather than a main character. Graham had to face his daemons, so he had to face Lecter to get advice. That was it, that was all. Now Lecter's a freaking franchise unto himself, and we never saw what else Harris might have been able to come up with. Anyway, that's what grinds my gears.
-
It's the only way to prevent me getting confused with hannibal. maybe in the 7 years they can get lighter per season to ensure continuity between the movies.
-
May 26, 2012, 7:20 p.m. CST
dammit. all i can think about now is that guy dnacing around with his knob tucked in between his legs.
by rakesh patel
stay classy AICN
-
"Tucker," based on the Buffalo Bill character's early years. "Shooty," based on the manufacture and early years of any one of the weapons used in the movie. "Senator," based on the time the senator lady in the movie bought her lovely suit. Or, when she gave birth to her hippo-sized daughter. Either way.
-
Lector pops around for dinner uninvited to see what's cooking.
-
Manhunter IS a perfect movie! Red Dragon wasn't! So much for reboots!
-
Dino de Laurentiis owns the film rights to all the characters that originally appeared in "Red Dragon" from when "Manhunter" was produced. "Manhunter" flopped at the box office but the "Silence" novel was such a phenomenon that Orion was willing to makes a movie out of it anyway, albeit one that didn't acknowledge the previous film. Because de Laurentiis owned the rights to the three recurring characters (Lecter, Crawford and Chilton) there are early drafts of the screenplay that simply renamed those three characters. In some alternate universe there's a version of "Silence" in which Anthony Hopkins played Dr. Gideon Quinn. de Laurentiis ultimately agreed to license those three characters to Orion. This was probably the best move he ever made in his legendary career because by the time "Hannibal" came out he found himselof urging on the rights to the most iconic film villain of all time even though he had nothing to do with the movie responsible for that status. There was a big bidding war and Universal won the rights to produce the film alongside de Laurentiis but there was a problem: Orion had gone bankrupt and its assets had been absorbed by MGM. Now it was MGM sitting on the rights to necessary characters because they owned the film rights to all the characters originally appearing in "Silence." The big one of course being Clarice Starling. Hence the film being a Universal/MGM co-production. Since then everything has been a passive-aggressive battle between the two "factions." "Red Dragon" was initially devoid of MGM's intellectual property put they managed to get co-distributor-in-name-only status in exchange for the use of footage of "Silence" when an essential establishing shot of the since-demolished mental hospital exterior was reused. The awful "Hannibal Rising" (which was actually distributed by MGM theatrically at the time as it was a Weinstein Co. film, irony of ironies) and the upcoming "Hannibal" TV series are both firmly within the realm of what has always been de Laurentiis-owned. The last 11 years has seen de Laurentiis and his heirs trying to utilize one of the most iconic franchises ever while trying to get around the fact that they have to give up a big piece of the pie if they wanna include the 2nd most-popular character. So yeah, this Lifetime series must be an MGM production (vs de Laurentiis/NBC) and they're gonna find themselves in a similar predicament: they're gonna have to create a Starling show with no access to her nemesis or her mentor.
-
Thanks for the clear and concise explanation! I had no idea of the mess of rights the Lecter books were tied up in. BTW, isn't Lifetime and NBC network?
-
You forgot one: "Precious" - the adventures of Buffalo Bill's dog, starting with his life adjusting to living with Catherine and her cat, but with flashbacks to his wacky adventures with Buffalo Bill, and before.
-
That's brilliant. You and I share a common vision for the future of entertainment. "Precious" could be kind of a "BJ and the Bear" type of road-adventure story. Or precious could have a "Benji" type of feel, or even a "Homeward Bound" thing with some of his other animal pals. Gold, I tells ya. GOLD!
-
I like the idea of "BJ & The Bear". Catherine and Precious in their tractor trailer on the road hunting serial killers. Precious is torn between the vengeance-fueled mission of her new master, and her old feelings for Bill. Or maybe someone will make a new "BJ & The Bear". Instead of a trucker, he's a bike courier (his backstory is he got disqualified from the Tour de France for doping); Bear is a gorilla who rides a skateboard by day, helping BJ deliver his packages, and at night he's an anti-hero vigilante known as The Bear (witnesses get only a fleeting look: "he was as big as a bear"). The Bear is being hunted by the cops for a string of murdered criminals, going back to the dealer who first sold BJ steroids. Of course, with that dealer gone, BJ has taken over his drug racket and is supplying cyclists, and other athletes, with steroids. Bear doesn't know the 'Roid Kingpin he is hunting is BJ, and BJ doesn't know The Bear is his gorilla roommate. Basically "BJ & The Bear" crossed with "Breaking Bad" crossed with "The Odd Couple" and "Perfect Strangers" with a little bit of "Quicksilver" and "The Cape" for flavour. Speaking of dog-type mash-up movies, ever seen "Fido"? It's like a Lassie movie, but with zombies.
-
That one slipped by me! I just watched the trailer. That looks hilarious! And you're totally on-point with your tv show pitch. I'll set something up with NBC. (they'll show anything these days, poor desperate bastards)
-
May 26, 2012, 9:22 p.m. CST
Manhunter is probably one of the dumbest movies Ive ever seen
by AshokForgiven
Even Red Dragon was better than that crap, I have no idea why on earth anyone would even admit to watching Manhunter.
-
May 26, 2012, 9:23 p.m. CST
It's typecasting but I think Mireille Enos (Det. Linden from The Killing) would be perfect
by Prof. Pop-Cult
If The Killing doesn't get a third season, perhaps the producers of this SotL spin-off should approach Enos. As for the series format itself, I say set it in the modern day. Basically, reboot the character Agent Starling. It's been 21 years since the movie, and it would be prohibitively expensive and dramatically limiting to make the series essentially a period piece set in the 90s that must adhere to events leading up to the Hannibal movie (which was terrible anyway). My guess is that this spin-off series might not be able to reference directly Lecter anyway, due to the rights of the character going to the NBC series. So just reboot Starling for the modern era, make oblique references to her days at the FBI academy that could be about Lecter but not delving into that too much, and make no obligation that the series' run must lead up to the Hannibal movie.
-
Silence of the Lambs doesn't feature any lesbians rescuing women from abusive husbands. sry... that was too easy of a a target. And not that funny.
-
It's unfortunate that studios don't work together more on stuff like this. In its own way the "Hannibal" novel is one of the biggest sellouts ever (complete bastardization of the character) but its admirable in that it was probably the last time a Lecter project was mounted without worrying about screwing anyone out of the rights. Everyone wanted a sequel to "Silence" featuring Lecter and Starling meeting again and that's what we got. I can't help but feel that either show is what anyone wants to make. I personally prefer the Will Graham character to Clarice Starling but I feel MGM/Lifetime have the right idea in regards to setting and that DdL/NBC are merely doing what they can since they're almost legally-bound to pre-Starling Lector. In a perfect world they'd work together and fudge facts a little in regards to the interim between "Silence" and "Hannibal." Imagine Clarice and Lecter playing a cat-and-mouse game with occasional run-ins and more unconventional consultations on criminal cases. I could see Graham even integrated as a regular or recurring character. And if you then watched "Hannibal" and things didn't jibe 100% with the way they portray the Lecter/Starling relationship 10 years later who really would give a shit? "Hannibal" actually deserves to be on the bitch-end of a retcon. Scenario 2 would accept the two shows for what they are but allow a few cool crossovers, both within the show and without. Imagine if NBC allowed their Crawford to appear in the early episodes of the Starling show. We know he survives through "Silence" so it would hardly be a spoiler. Then let them just fucking refer to the Lecter character (seeing then avoid this is going to be interesting though) and then negotiate like 1 actual appearance from the NBC Lecter a year in exchange for weekly "Hannibal" TV spots on Lifetime. A really fun idea would be to have a case go unsolved on "Hannibal" only to resurface years later on the Clarice show, though I don't think "Hannibal" is actually going to be a period show. But yeah, it's all about money and stuff rarely works out that way but it's already a fascinating situation as-is. I can't think of anything even similar to two competing shows based on one intellectual property torn to legal shreds by weird rights issues.
-
And she'll get raped and beaten when she's off duty.
-
Manhunter was far superior to Red Dragon. Unfortunately though, Manhunter is very dated because of its god-awful 80s sountrack (ironically,William Peterson's other 80s masterpiece, To Live and Die in LA, suffers from the same problem) and 80s style that Michael Mann ultimately brought to huge success with Miami Vice. I felt everything else was superior in Manhunter. William Peterson was better than Edward Norton as Will Graham. Bryan Cox was superior to Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector (or Lecktor as it was in Manhunter). By Red Dragon, Hopkins was mailing in the role. And Michael Mann's direction was superior to Brett Ratner's (granted almost anyone can out direct Ratner). Looking at it now is unfair because of the very 80s feel to Manhunter as I said. Manhunter is just a movie that was spectacular for its time (although not very popular), just hasn't aged well because Mann fell in love with the 80s style and music that is very kitschy today. Give Manhunter a modern or timeless soundtrack and replace the 80s pastel clothing and I guarantee you you would have a whole different opinion of the movie.
-
Said to me that Harris might not have even written that book. the guy is very slow as a writer and then suddenly churns out pap. smells oc ghost writing to me, a pure cash- in, perhaps from an outline whipped up by Harris for a couple of mil.
-
May 26, 2012, 10:34 p.m. CST
I actually like the idea of Clarice series over a will Graham/Lector series, but it is Lifetime
by Rob0729
Personally, I think a Clarice Starling series is a better idea than the Hannibal series. I think a buddy series with Graham and Lector is going to get old if it goes more than a year or two without Graham discovering Lector is a serial killer. I haven't read Red Dragon in nearly 15 years, but even though Graham discovered Lector was a serial killer by accident, I am pretty sure their relationship prior to that wasn't all that long. I can't see you dragging out a series like this for three or four years without making Graham look like a friggin moron for not knowing Lector is a serial killer. I think Clarice just has more possibilities. Here you have the young upshot straight out of the academy fresh off of capturing the Tooth Fairy single handily and rescuing the Senator's daughter. Plus she is dealing with the scars dragged up by Lector. The big problem is that it is on Lifetime and not AMC or HBO or Showtime. Lifetime is going to make it soapy or softer because their audience is primarily woman. They are not going to do an edgy series that the material deserves.
-
May 26, 2012, 10:43 p.m. CST
Agree with everything you said about Manhunter rob0729 (except To Live And Die also having a similarily dated soundtrack is not ironic)
by FreeBeer
-
In fact, so was Hannibal. Only Harris' talented writing style saved that book from going into parody considering many of the plot points were fairly ludicrous if you didn't discover them in the context of the book. SPOILERS I mean if you describe that book to someone who never read it, they would think it was a joke with a disfigured evil millionaire with his lesbian bodybuilder sister (along with his raping her as a child and her wanting his sperm so her children could inherit the family fortune), man eating boars, Lector and Clarice sharing a meal of human brain, then killing her enemy together, and then becoming lovers. I am kinda disappointed that Harris spent most of his career with the same characters and never really branched out after he started with the Lector character. His only non-Lector related book was Black Sunday which was a really good read.
-
My point was that William Peterson starred in only two great movies in the 80s and both suffer from the same dated feel because of their very 80s soundtrack. That is the ironic part of it.
-
between the two books. Wouldn't that just make for a really bad cop show?
-
May 26, 2012, 11:40 p.m. CST
Thomas Harris never wanted to write a sequel, hence why Clarice gets totally f*cked up in Hannibal
by Hardboiled Wonderland
It was Harris's big F*ck You to everyone who demanded a sequel.
-
Just as Anthony Hopkins is Hannibal. Anything less is an inferior product.
-
You know it will happen in our lifetimes. Scully was based on Clarice Starling, hence my topic jump.
-
That is very interesting info. Thx for posting.
-
May 26, 2012, 11:56 p.m. CST
Silence = A, Red Dragon = C+, Hannibal = C-, Manhunter = F
by AshokForgiven
-
My mom has worked in publishing for a number of years and according to industry water cooler talk, a huge advance was secured by Harris' agent to write a follow up to SotL, but Harris had difficulty finding a story and wanted to move on to other projects. When Dell Publishing pressed for a manuscript, Harris turned in a rushed half hearted product with the hope that the publisher would be interested in other ideas he had and let the Lecter franchise idle. At least that is the scuttlebutt anyway.
-
I always wondered if Mason Verger wasn't originally intended to be Will Graham, and perhaps Harris wound up thinking that that was simply too obvious of a premise. Too bad, one way or the other - I always thought that Will was a fascinating character, I hated the way Harris distanced himself from him, and that the way he more or less retconned Red Dragon in Silence of the Lambs was cheap and unsatisfying. I like each book (up to Hannibal) on its own merits, but it's really hard to actually place them all in the same continuity.
-
Leave it alone I say. For all the Silence of the lambs lover out there http://wp.me/p19wJ2-dP
-
They better get a hell of an actress and some good writers. Otherwise it will just be another ubiquitous cop/F.B.I. show, and we've already had so many of those!
-
May 27, 2012, 4:10 a.m. CST
What's with all these Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling TV shows all of a sudden?
by Mr. Pricklepants
-
May 27, 2012, 4:17 a.m. CST
Not to mention a TV show remake of THE EXORCIST. What's next? HARRY POTTER AND THE MIDLIFE CRISIS: THE SERIES?
by Mr. Pricklepants
-
If Bryan Fullers name is attached I will give it a go. That guy is a genius.
-
I can just see The Food Network coming up with "Cooking With Hannibal"......on the first show, we find out what Hannibal is whipping up when he's "having an old friend for dinner."
-
May 27, 2012, 8:14 a.m. CST
The twist? This time Buffalo Bill is your husband.
by Doctor_Strangepork
-
Can't remember where I heard this, but apparently Anthony Hopkins actually wrote a screenplay for a sequel to HANNIBAL, ending with Clarice killing Lecter. I'd love to see it produced -- the franchise has nowhere to go but up, so why not get the crew back together for one last hurrah?
-
After the Miggs line, I heard an old women in the row ahead of me ask her relative in a very loud voice "He can smell her what?" The guy wouldn't answer her out of respect I guess. The lady got agitated--so finally the guy screams "HER CUNT MA! HE CAN SMELL HER CUNT!--JESUS!"
-
May 27, 2012, 11:02 a.m. CST
Actually, "Hannibal" the novel was brilliant and brought Clarice's relationship with Lector to a logical conclusion
by SlappyBones
(Spoiler, for the novel) The FBI was the only life Clarice knew as an adult, but then they betrayed her. Her only escape was her study of Lector. She was fascinated by his genius, his broad and deep knowledge of art and history, and his exquisite taste (excepting human flesh, of course). She also knew that he would never harm her; Clarice said as much in the Silence movie and I believed her. And so she fell in love him. You can't study anything for as long as she studied Lector and not feel something positive, even while feeling the disgust too. Harris' decision to have them fall in love and heal each other was the logical conclusion to the Silence novel. True, Hannibal Rising was a cash grab, but why not? Harris gave us such wonderful stories, let him have the money. He's earned it.
-
prequels have no drama or tension ! we already KNOW the main character(s) will never ever be harmed whatsoever. of course your pea-brains are only interested in brand names, franchises, and character recognition ( star trek ) so you can squeeze every last drop of money out of it, but your "product" will always be shit.
-
Thanks for that rumor. But it begs the question, why did Harris write Hannibal Rising? He didn't have to unless he had a longstanding multi-book contract starting with Silence, or even earlier. No reason for yet another sequel. I'd love to hear more details if you have them.
-
May 27, 2012, 11:51 a.m. CST
Will she be dating a doctor or a lawyer? Will she be a single mother?
by kabong
The series, “Clarice,” would follow Starling in her seven Lecter-free years between “Lambs” and “Hannibal.” <P> Years in which she and her Desperate FBI Housewives bicker and shop.
-
Her last series was cancelled.
-
In SMELL-O-Vision
-
a film moron. Manhunter is an excellent movie, and that is an objective fact. Your opinion is invalid and not worth the time it took you to post
-
May 28, 2012, 6:42 a.m. CST
So has Thomas Harris completely lost all control over his characters now?
by BenBraddock
Or was the paycheck just too big?
-
May 28, 2012, 8:54 a.m. CST
Yeah I'm trolling, that is why SotL is one of my favorite films
by AshokForgiven
Yeah I'm trolling on Silence of the Lambs by calling it one of the best films of all time, Jodi Foster was outstanding. Did not like any of the other movies, esp. the 80s one.
-
Apart from ocasional references to HL?
-
The novels were set in the early 80s and since NBC's Hannibal takes place years before Red Dragon then have it take place in 1973 and Clarice in 1983 after Lambs. Each series can cover 7 years and both shows can set themselves apart from CSI and Criminal Minds.
-
...The Two Goofy Bug Experts Who Work In The Smithsonian And Help Solve Crimes.
-
Firstly, big props to Guru-Askew, i had no idea about any of those rights issues. Very well written Sir! Despite the fact that the books deteriorated as the series progressed/regressed, Harris still writes great prose and I do hope he puts out another book soon. I had always kind of hoped that we would see Will Graham brought back in to rescue Starling, although the different movie ending to Hannibal may confuse issues a little there. Harris used to knock out a book every seven or eight years, so we may be due one soon. Or maybe he's retired? Come on TH, give me something to read! Anyone else here like the Black Sunday movie? A bit long, but Bruce Dern is always good value.
-
that Harris wrote "Hannibal" as an unfilmable sequel simply because he HATED being pressured by everyone for more Lecter. Then Hollywood tried to make it into a movie anyway.
-
Horse Shit.
-
May 31, 2012, 10:41 a.m. CST
Thomas Harris's character David Kabakov in Black Sunday would make a more interesting series.
by v3d
A Mossad agent traveling the world stopping terrorists. Probably a little more relevant to the times we live in.
-
WJS would rock as Clarice. Need to have Peter Scolari play her boss.
Top Talkbacks
- Spoilery early review of MAN OF STEEL!! -- 78 total posts 46 posts
- Holy Crossover!! Magneto’s Boy Quicksilver To Speed About In Whedon’s AVENGERS 2 And Singer’s X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST?? -- 225 total posts 13 posts
- So where is FAST AND FURIOUS 7 going to take place!?! -- 95 total posts 8 posts
- Ron Howard's latest trailer sure is a RUSH!!! -- 35 total posts 6 posts
- Next on the Reboot assemblyline? TIMECOP!! -- 146 total posts 4 posts
- Green-Band and Red-Band trailers for the new Jason Sudeikis & Jennifer Aniston VACATION ripoff, WE'RE THE MILLERS are here!! -- 96 total posts 4 posts
- Lance Henriksen On HANNIBAL!! Ruffalo On KIMMEL!! New WIPEOUT & ANGER!! The Premieres Of SAVE ME And HAVE TO GO!! AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE And GOING TO HELL Finales!! Herc’s Thursday TV Talkback!! -- 20 total posts 4 posts
- Please Don't Scream At The New Trailer For Elijah Wood's MANIAC...You're So Beautiful!! -- 34 total posts 3 posts
- Papa Vinyard thinks that HANGOVER: PART III was a paycheck grab for a buncha people who are already rich!! -- 178 total posts 3 posts
- A review of Refn and Gosling's ONLY GOD FORGIVES, direct from Cannes!! -- 21 total posts 2 posts