A lot of people were wondering how CBS’ glossy new procedural Clarice would fare in the ratings seeing as it’s a sequel series to The Silence of the Lambs that isn’t connected to Bryan Fuller’s acclaimed and massively popular Hannibal, and that’s without even mentioning the fact that the show isn’t legally allowed to mention the infamous cannibal by name due to rights issues.
Currently, we’re five episodes in and Clarice has already lost 25% of the four million viewers who checked out the premiere, and it’ll be interesting to see what the numbers are by the time the first season draws to a close. As for Hannibal, Fuller and the gang still haven’t given up hope that the stylish psychological thriller will be revived somewhere, and considering the strong viewership figures it pulled in on Netflix and its status as a firm cult favorite, it’s strange that no network or streamer has yet to take the plunge.
On the big screen, meanwhile, Dr. Lecter has been absent since the terrible 2007 prequel Hannibal Rising, with TV projects becoming the priority. However, insider Daniel Richtman is now reporting that Jared Leto wants to play literature’s most famous PhD graduate with a taste for human flesh, but that’s about the extent of the tipster’s information, other than that it could be in a feature film.
While it’s entirely speculative at this stage, especially given the complex legal and contractual issues surrounding the lore that’s already seen all four of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter novels adapted in some form or other at least once, this could be awfully dangerous casting. After all, knowing how much Leto loves to get into character, there’s the distinct possibility that he’d have himself imprisoned or possibly even turn his back on veganism for the first time in two decades in order to have an old friend for dinner.