Fuller seeks Silence of the Lambs limited series to revive Hannibal

Bryan Fuller, creator of the acclaimed television series Hannibal, said he hopes to revive the show with a fourth season that would adapt Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs as a limited series starring Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Zendaya as FBI agent Clarice Starling. Fuller said the idea remains contingent on resolving complex rights issues that have dogged the franchise for years, and he acknowledged that assembling the necessary legal permissions could take time.

Fuller said he envisions a reunion of the original cast, including Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, but that the key obstacle is control of the Clarice character and related material. He said the problem stems in part from an earlier arrangement in which producer Martha De Laurentiis negotiated rights with multiple parties, and that MGM later disputed aspects of the deal after another company offered De Laurentiis a larger package. Fuller said the situation was further complicated by De Laurentiis's death and ongoing efforts by Thomas Harris to consolidate rights under a single umbrella. Fuller said sorting that out could take a couple of years.

"My dream project is to do a limited series of Silence of...