Hello, Clarice…
Hannibal Lecter is one of the most famous literary creations of all time.
Originating in the novels of Thomas Harris, the cannibalistic killer has been played onscreen to date by Brian Cox, Anthony Hopkins, Gaspard Uilliel and Mads Mikkelsen.
We’ll forgive you for not recognising the third one, but you really ought to check out the Cox and Mikkelsen vintages, particularly the latter in the TV show Hannibal which ran for three seasons from 2013 – 2015 and was absolutely brilliant.
Anthony Hopkins is the one everyone remembers the most, though. He was never better than in The Silence of the Lambs, taking home an Oscar for his instantly iconic turn that ultimately lost a little power by reprising the role for two further adventures.
One of his toughest foes, however, has arguably not gotten the full respect that she deserves.
Having also won Oscar gold for her performance in Lambs, Jodie Foster dropped out of Ridley Scott’s Hannibal follow-up with her tenacious FBI agent Clarice Starling instead played by Julianne Moore, who did a fine job but was let down by a script that Foster argued betrayed the character.
As such, many fans of Starling and the original film in which she appeared have been waiting a long time for justice to be done.
Clip via Movieclips
Well, she’s finally coming back. And on television, this time.
Deadline reports that American network CBS has given the go-ahead for a pilot for Clarice, a new drama that will focus on Starling’s life one year following the events of The Silence of the Lambs.
The intention, it appears, is for the show to go to full series status.
Alex Kurtzman, writer of the likes of the first two live-action Transformers movies, Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, Star Trek and its Into Darkness sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Tom Cruise’s failed reboot of The Mummy – which Kurtzman also directed – has penned the pilot script alongside Jenny Lumet.
Lumet’s CV is slightly more promising – though she did co-write The Mummy – as she wrote indie film Rachel Getting Married which was directed by the late Jonathan Demme, who also helmed – dun-dun-dun – The Silence of the Lambs.
Lumet and Kurtzman will also serve as executive producers on Clarice.
The report notes that a writing team is already in place and there’s “a lot of enthusiasm” regarding the project, which is set in 1993.
The plot will shine a light on “the untold personal story” of its lead character as she returns to work hunting down bad guys while dealing with office politics and the like.
“After more than 20 years of silence, we’re privileged to give voice to one of America’s most enduring heroes – Clarice Starling,” said Kurtzman and Lumet in a joint statement.
“Clarice’s bravery and complexity have always lit the way, even as her personal story remained in the dark. But hers is the very story we need today: her struggle, her resilience, her victory. Her time is now, and always.”
Start your fan-casting now.
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