'Silence of the Lambs' Sequel Series 'Clarice' Being Developed by CBS

Well, many fans may still be mad about the cancellation of NBC's Hannibal (and have begun a new rallying cry for the renewal of the show after the following news was announced) but while we wait for a future that may or may not hold more Hannibal, CBS is bringing us more from the universe of Hannibal Lecter...

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...Via Deadline, CBS is developing a new series entitled Clarice, which is set after the events of 1991s Silence of the Lambs, based off of the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. The project is written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman (Sleepy Hollow TV series) and Jenny Lumet (The Mummy 2017). 

In Clarice:

"Set in 1993, a year after the events of 'The Silence of the Lambs', the series is a deep dive into the untold personal story of Clarice Starling, as she returns to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high stakes political world of Washington, D.C."

Said Kurtzman and Lumet to Deadline: “After more than 20 years of silence, we’re privileged to give voice to one of America’s most enduring heroes – Clarice Starling...Clarice’s bravery and complexity have always lit the way, even as her personal story remained in the dark. But hers is the very story we need today: her struggle, her resilience, her victory. Her time is now, and always.”

A pilot script has already been written and is set to begin filming later in the year, with the intention to go to series. 

Strange that we're not hearing mention of Hannibal Lecter, but it sounds as if Kurtzman and Lumet want to make Clarice the focus of this story, without the overwhelming shadow of Hannibal's charismatic character (played by Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 film), but time will tell. It's hard to imagine the character not being a part of this. At the same time, Clarice (originally played by Jodie Foster) is a fantastic character, and I look forward to seeing more of her. 

​Clarice is produced by MGM, which owns the rights to the movies, and CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s CBS Studios-based Secret Hideout.

By Matt Konopka