“Clarice” Producer Talks Hannibal Lecter Restrictions

Clarice is an upcoming series that is purportedly a sequel to the critically acclaimed 90s film, The Silence of the Lambs. The show will follow agent Clarice Starling, famously played by Jodie Foster in the aforementioned film, after the events of Lambs.

The production has been set up at CBS and there has been a bit of confusion surrounding the project, due to the confusing right involved with the books that provide the source material. Notably, many were hopeful that the new iteration could connect to NBC’s well-received Hannibal from showrunner Bryan Fuller. However, that possibility has been nixed, and what’s more, it’s come to light that the character of Hannibal Lecter can’t even be referenced in Clarice.

Speaking with EW for an interview, executive producer Alex Kurtzman talked about the odd restrictions, stating that:

I’m still trying to understand how the rights are divided. But it’s been quite liberating because we have no interest in writing about Hannibal — not because we didn’t love the films and the show, but because it was done so well by so many people that it didn’t feel fresh for us.

It’s nice to hear that the creative team behind the show are trying to create something unique that hasn’t really been done before in the franchise. However, the characters of Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter are so inherently tied together that it’s disappointing that they’ll never even mention the relationship.

It seems like a similar situation that the FOX series Gotham found itself in during its early years, namely, not wanting (or being able) to feature The Joker. A show about Batman simply has to reference or utilize The Joker in some form or fashion, as he is so integral to the mythos of Batman, and when they didn’t, fans were put off. It’ll likely be a similar situation for audiences when they watch Clarice. They’ll be expecting see the dynamic between the titular heroine and her greatest foe expanded on, and when it doesn’t happen, they’ll be confused and even frustrated.

But Kurtzman seems confident that it’s a hurdle they’ll be able to pass, so there is a chance that the absence of Hannibal Lecter in Clarice won’t be as significant as Gotham never naming The Joker. The series is set to premiere on CBS in February of 2021. Follow us on Twitter @FilmIronic to stay up to date on the latest entertainment news!