NBC silences Hannibal

NBC has ended its drama about Silence of the Lambs serial-killer character Hannibal Lecter, with the currently airing third season set to be its last.

Hannibal’s creator had planned a five-season story arc

Hannibal is produced by Gaumont International Television (GIT) and stars Mads Mikkelsen as the character created by novelist Thomas Harris and made famous by The Silence of the Lambs, Manhunter and other movies.

Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daises, Heroes) penned the scripts and had a story arc he hoped would span five seasons. David Slade directed the cast, which also includes Hugh Dancy and Laurence Fishburne, along with Eddie Izzard and Gillian Anderson.

The show could yet be resurrected, however, after Hannibal exec producer Martha DeLaurentiis Tweeted that other options were being explored. Netflix worked previously with GIT on Eli Roth horror series Hemlock Grove.

Sony Pictures Television Networks is a co-commissioner on Hannibal and airs it via its AXN portfolio. Canal+ in France, Sky Living in the UK, CityTV in Canada and ProSieben in Germany also picked up the show, which is distributed by Gaumont.