Comic-Con 2013: ‘Hannibal’ Panel Report

July 18, 2013

In Thomas Harris’ The Silence of The Lambs, a young FBI agent turns to an imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter to find a deranged killer. However, the next season of “Hannibal” will flip that dynamic around, now that Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) has been imprisoned for Hannibal’s crimes.

Earlier today at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Dancy, director David Slade, and “Hannibal” executive producers Bryan Fuller and Martha De Laurentiis were greeted by a packed room of cheering fans. And Fuller soon dropped some hints about where the story is going next season. Among other things, Fuller promised that Will Graham will be feistier and scrappier now that he’s hit rock bottom. Will is also aware of Hannibal’s true nature after last season’s finale.

Fuller indicated that he has laid out the story arc for the second season, with a two part season premiere and a “trial” planned for the third episode that will likely center on Will’s attempt to clear his name.

Dancy described Will Graham as one of the most “richly rewarding” characters he has every played. Although Dancy joked that beer “helps” him push away the darker aspects of Will’s storyline. Everyone on the panel was effusive with praise for the absent Mads Mikkelsen and his performance as Hannibal Lecter. According to Fuller and Slade, Mikkelsen won them over because he had his own take on the character that wasn’t aping Anthony Hopkins or Brian Cox. Instead, Mikkelsen plays Hannibal as a “Satan” figure.

Hilariously, Fuller revealed that nearly everything the creative team came up with on the show made it through to TV. None of the gruesome kills were challenged by NBC… but two bare butts was where the network drew the line with the “angels.” Fuller’s solution was to cover the butt cracks with blood to satisfy the network censors.

The second season of “Hannibal” will begin filming in September for a 2014 return to NBC. De Laurentiis noted that she hopes that “Hannibal” will run for an additional seven seasons.

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TV Channel Editor Blair Marnell

Blair Marnell is best known for his two year stint as a columnist for Comics Bulletin before writing professionally for Wizard Magazine, Geek Monthly and MTV Splash Page. He has also previously worked as a freelance editor for Tokyopop and Radical Comics in addition to serving as an executive producer for the popular web series, Comics on Comics.

As Crave Online's TV Channel Editor, Blair indulges his television addiction by writing about some of the best TV series on the air.

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