NBC's 'Hannibal': When Will It Premiere?

NBC

For all NBC’s comeback success this year, one project that’s certainly caught our eye is that of the Bryan Fuller-helmed re-imagining ‘Hannibal,’ depicting the iconic killer (Mads Mikkelsen) in his earlier days alongside FBI partner Will Graham. Yet for all its buzz, NBC seems hesitant to schedule out the 10-episode season’s premiere, even as it heads into its mid-season lineup. What does the NBC president have to say about the scheduling of ‘Hannibal,’ and when might we finally get a chance to see it?

NBC’s ‘Hannibal’ series may have a lot of attention surrounding it, but that may not be a sure indicator of its premiere. NBC execs Bob Greenblatt and Jennifer Salke updated reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour of the Bryan Fuller-helmed series starring Mads Mikkelsen (‘Casino Royale’) as the titular Dr. Lecter and Hugh Dancy as his partner Will Graham, claiming it could begin airing before May.

In particular, Greenblatt told IGN, “To be determined on the scheduling of it. It could be a summer show, in which case I think you look at all the great cable shows that are on in the summer and I think it could fit really nicely in that world. It’s really well crafted.” Entertainment President Salke said, “There’s a lot of big fans of it, so we haven’t decided what to do with it yet, but we do love it.”

In particular, Salke downplayed any potential similarity to FOX’s ‘The Following,’ which follows a similarly serial killer-centric formula. The NBC rep explained that the network owed it to themselves to give a longer publicity run to ‘Hannibal,’ without necessarily letting another series affect its buzz. “You know Bryan [Fuller], Bryan makes a show feel like none other,” said Salke. “It doesn’t look like anything you’ve seen anywhere else. I’ve never seen anything like it. So you’re on the edge of your seat. It’s beautifully directed David Slade, who’s incredible.”

In addition to the recent casting of ‘The X-Files’ star Gillian Anderson, Laurence Fishburne’s Jack Crawford and wife Gina Torres playing Crawford’s wife, Bryan Fuller’s ‘Hannibal’ features comedian Eddie Izzard, ‘SNL‘ alum Molly Shannon, ‘Pushing Daisies’ vet Ellen Greene, ‘Wonderfalls’ stars Chelan Simmons, Lara Jean Chorostecki as a female interpretation of ‘Red Dragon’ character Freddy Lounds and Raul Esparza as Dr. Frederick Chilton. Set in the early days of Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen)’s partnership, Fuller’s envisioned series is said to be “a love story” told across at least seven seasons.

We’ll keep you updated as NBC plots out ‘Hannibal’s’ premiere, but what say you? Are you excited to see a new take on the classic characters? What would you like to see happen?

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