Has Netflix started another round of speculation on NBC’s cult classic TV show Hannibal? Here’s what we know.
As a longtime fan of NBC’s Hannibal, there have been lots of ups and downs. Director and writer Bryan Fuller’s take on the classic story of Hannibal Lecter has elements of gruesome beauty never before seen on network television. Fuller created a cult classic by combining the fascination with the macabre with stunning, gothic visuals. Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as Will Graham gave the show a charged queer relationship to add to the already groundbreaking series. The show’s blatant depiction of cannibalism, murder, and gore resulted in low viewership on the network, leading to cancellation in 2015.
In recent years, the show has moved between several streaming services, igniting hope for a fourth season. The most impactful move was Netflix picking up Hannibal in 2020. This brought the show a new following and a fanatical social fanbase. Calls for Hannibal season four had never been stronger. Fans of the series, referred to as “Fannibals,” went to great lengths to prove their interest. The most recent example is a Change.org petition from 2022, signed by creator Bryan Fuller himself.
It isn’t only the creator and the fans who want the show to return. Main actors Mikkelsen and Dancy, as well as supporting actors Gillian Anderson and Laurence Fishburne, have expressed their interest in continuing the show since it was initially canceled in 2015. Interviews with cast members as recent as May have echoed this desire. Unfortunately, though the show moved from Netflix to Hulu to Amazon Prime and even Tubi, none of these streaming services renewed it. After the show’s custody battle proved fruitless time and time again, many fans have lost hope for a fourth season.
I was introduced to the series in 2020, after reading most of the books in the Hannibal Lecter universe by Thomas Harris. The show Hannibal, rather than following the events of The Silence of the Lambs, is an adapted prequel leading up to Red Dragon, which depicts Hannibal Lecter’s capture and imprisonment. The book also explores his relationship with profiler Will Graham, a character taken from the book and given new creative life in the show. I had no idea that what awaited me was one of the most richly written horror series I have ever seen, with elements of true magical realism and gothic romance. Hannibal also includes elements of dark comedy, which adds to the show’s charm. It has quickly become my favorite filmed media of all time, and I, like the rest of the Fannibals, have craved a revival. That’s why when Hannibal returned to Netflix this summer, I was ecstatic.
Hannibal’s return to Netflix sparked hope that a deal was finally made between Bryan Fuller and a streaming service. Shows like Dexter and Lucifer have been picked up for final seasons on Netflix, so why can’t Hannibal find a place to rest? However, the series seems to face the same roadblocks. This year, Fuller and the cast cite disputes over the rights to the story and characters as the biggest obstacle to a much-anticipated fourth season. After the passing of Martha De Laurentiis, an executive producer on the show, the rights to the Hannibal characters are returning to Harris. Amazon MGM Studios also owns a portion of the rights. With these legal boundaries, how could Hannibal live on? Bryan Fuller has discussed thoughts of an audio drama continuation if TV proves fruitless, but Mikkelsen feels Fuller’s vision for the series was made for TV.
Whatever form it takes, creator Bryan Fuller will never give up, and neither will the show’s massive cult following. Until the show finally gets renewed, all we have is the visual world Fuller left for us, and the hope and hunger for more.
