969 replies to this topic

[hardy har]

When I first heard about this waaaaaaay back my thought was "FUCK NO!!!!!"

Then, I heard Bryan Fuller was behind it. Then, MM was playing Hannibal and Hugh Dancy was playing Will Graham and Lawrence Fishburne, Caroline Dhavernas (Yeeeeeeesss!) and Gina Torres signed on too and I got all excited. I mean, honestly, I was in once I heard Mikkelsen signed on because he is my actor kryptonie, but I dig the trailer. Plus, The Following sucks and Dexter is a hot fucking mess, so I need something to fulfill my creepy show vacancy.

Via The Playlist:

The great Mads Mikkelsen playing the iconic Dr. Hannibal Lecter alone would have been enough, but we’ve also been encouraged by what producer Bryan Fuller has had to say about the show. “Hannibal” will follow the cable model of a 13-episode first season, with the title character’s murderous nature to be revealed within two seasons – after which the structure of the show would dramatically change (given it gets that far, of course). Fuller apparently pitched a seven-season arc to NBC, which will please viewers who normally have to approach network dramas with a "I know they’re making this up as they go along" approach.

WOO!

ETA: Apologies if there's a thread about this already. I did a search and didn't find anything.

Edited by hardy har, Feb 18, 2013 @ 2:47 PM.

[Jeebus Cripes]

Aw, man! Now I'm gonna be all attracted to Hannibal Lecter and shit. I used to make fun of those people. I just wish it was on a premium network, or FX even. They get away with quite a bit on FX.

[AimingforYoko]

2 minute international trailer.

[MzTeaze]

This looks pretty darn good so far.

[Nanrad]

Gillian Anderson is signed on as well. :-D

[Actionmage]

Dammit, I'm in. There goes my hopes of sleeping well. *sigh*

ETA- Like all the others upset they're gonna crush on the gross serial killer, I've got to own my crush from when both gents were in King Arthur; yep the one crazy person who didn't mind the story too much and enjoyed so much manly, delightful eye-candy. Dammit, Mr. Mikkelsen!

Edited by Actionmage, Mar 1, 2013 @ 9:47 AM.

[MsLark]

Now I'm gonna be all attracted to Hannibal Lecter and shit.

Oh, I know! Quite the dilemma. Not only that, but there's also a great cast. Since it's NBC, I really hope it works out. Can't believe Mads is doing US TV.

Edited by MsLark, Mar 1, 2013 @ 6:41 AM.

[Chrissytd]

I read on TVline that Ellen Muth is guest starring near the end of Season 1.

[hardy har]

Bless my fellow TWoPers! Every time I mention my Mikkelsen crush my friends are like, "Really? He's kind weird looking." and I proceed to question their ability to see.

ETA- Like all the others upset they're gonna crush on the gross serial killer, I've got to own my crush from when both gents were in King Arthur; yep the one crazy person who didn't mind the story too much and enjoyed so much manly, delightful eye-candy. Dammit, Mr. Mikkelsen!

Ah, King Arthur. So much pretty in that harmlessly silly movie. That was what originated my MM crush. All I kept thinking was "Hey, movie! Put the hot mute guy with the bird back on the screen!" I never really got Hugh Dancy until recently. Oh, and the facial hair he's sporting in the trailer? 1000 times, yes. Keep that forever and ever, Dancy.

Still really looking forward to this. NBC is impatient as fuck though, so I hope the ratings start strong. Well, first I hope the show lives up to how it looks on paper, then I hope the rating are strong. Plus, Caroline Dhavernas deserves a good show that actually stays on the air.

Edited by hardy har, Mar 13, 2013 @ 12:14 PM.

[bulldawgtownie]

The thing that worries me the most is that it's on NBC. That usually means it'll either suck or be good and get cancelled after the first season.

BTW when does Hannibal start?

[RustbeltWriter]

No, not tuning in. Hannibal Lecter isn't interesting enough for a TV series. One movie was enough and Jodie Foster's character was twice as interesting as Lecter. Once the shock value wears off the character is just another killer and you can see them weekly on any CSI episode.

[MzTeaze]

I'm glad to see more network execs at least RECEPTIVE to the idea of creating shows with a tight 10-13 episode run. Too many good network shows have been ruined trying to stretch out a great idea into 22-24 episodes without a long enough break in between.

Now, considering the Silence of the Lambs book wasn't primarily about Hannibal Lecter like the movie suggested, it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

[OmahaMtLion]

BTW when does Hannibal start?

April 4th. I don't know. I don't get the point of a PG-13 Hannibal Lecter. I mean, I assume none of the movies are PG/PG-13 and I just figure you want R-rated from the material. It seems like it ought to be on cable and probably pay cable. And, as RustbeltWriter says, I don't know that Lecter or Will Graham were really compelling enough to spend 68 hours with them, which is the timeline Fuller's talking about. That's a lot of time to spend with what are pretty one-note characters.

Edited by OmahaMtLion, Mar 13, 2013 @ 3:22 PM.

[MzTeaze]

Here is the background on Will Graham as sussed out from the Thomas Harris books: Will Graham background

Based on the story line from the books, the only direction that makes sense is that the show will FOCUS on Will Graham with a enough doses of Hannibal's evil to build a cat and mouse relationship between the two.

So I imagine there will some background on Will and Hannibal before the two characters actually meet on screen because according to the basic story frame...that meeting was brief yet memorable. The follow up was nearly deadly for one person and the other ends up in jail. So I would hazard a guess that THAT's the series finale point and they will work backwards to build the 68 hours of story line.

[bulldawgtownie]

Personally, I think Hannibal Lector is really compelling. I always enjoy intelligent, manipulative anti-hero heroes and the fact that he's posing as one of the good guys and "helping" the police in this show makes him extra compelling to me. But really it doesn't matter. I'm watching any show with Laurence Fishburne and Gillian Anderson in it, although I'm not sure how often we'll see Anderson considering she's just doing a multi-episode arc and isn't a part of the main cast.

Edited by bulldawgtownie, Mar 13, 2013 @ 3:58 PM.

[OmahaMtLion]

I think the plan here is to make Lecter something of a mentor to an oblivious Graham and it has the side effect of making Graham less of an equal than I think Harris intended. The Norton Graham in Red Dragon had the same problem to me when compared with the Petersen Graham from Manhunter, who seemed much more capable of doing his job. And I don't think that dynamic is in the books at all. I think that was something they added to Red Dragon so they could give Hopkins more to do.

[MzTeaze]

I think the plan here is to make Lecter something of a mentor to an oblivious Graham and it has the side effect of making Graham less of an equal than I think Harris intended. The Norton Graham in Red Dragon had the same problem to me when compared with the Petersen Graham from Manhunter, who seemed much more capable of doing his job. And I don't think that dynamic is in the books at all. I think that was something they added to Red Dragon so they could give Hopkins more to do.

Exactly which is what turned me off about SOTL for a long time. I read the book first and really enjoyed it.

Based on the synopsis of Graham, I'm really hoping that Hugh Darcy (who I really enjoy as an actor) gets to play him as intended in the book - an equal in intelligence and brilliance who still has some checkered issues in his past (ut oh another FLAWED hero). But does this mean we get to hear a potentially mangled Louisianian accent?

What may help are the marquee names attached to the characters as I don't think the average American TV watcher is familiar with Mads Mikkelsen.

[OmahaMtLion]

But does this mean we get to hear a potentially mangled Louisianian accent?

I don't recall either Norton or Petersen bothering with one.

[MzTeaze]

I'm recalling Petersen doing a Louisianian accent...unless I am thinking of another movie. It's entirely possible.

I guess my point is, Dancy is British. I'm guessing he will do an American accent like he did on The Big C...or maybe he will go more true to book character and throw in some Louisiana phrasing or sayings with the accent.

[thuganomics85]

What may help are the marquee names attached to the characters as I don't think the average American TV watcher is familiar with Mads Mikkelsen.

I imagine most average watchers see him and go "Hey, it's the Bond villain from Casino Royale."

I'm usually leery about re-imagining a well-known story like this, but the trailers do make it look interesting. It definitely has gone all out with the cast, with Mads, Laurence Fishburne, Gillian Anderson, and Hugh Dancy. My main reservations are how much they can get away with on network TV and, of course, NBC. The network that defines incompetence. They actually started out this season strong with Revolution and Chicago Fire being a sleeper hit, but this winter has been close to a disaster. This show will be fighting an uphill battle with all that.

[hardy har]

Official site

I'm glad to see more network execs at least RECEPTIVE to the idea of creating shows with a tight 10-13 episode run. Too many good network shows have been ruined trying to stretch out a great idea into 22-24 episodes without a long enough break in between.

This. The less filler episodes I have to watch for a show the better.

ETA: If this new trailer is any indication NBC doesn't seem to by shying away from the violence.

Edited by hardy har, Mar 14, 2013 @ 2:59 PM.

[RudyRayMoore]

I am SO looking forward to this tonight! The reviews have been very good so far:

-- Alan Sepinwall called it "riveting" and "thrilling" and said Hugh Dancy is "sensational."

-- Entertainment Weekly said it was "finely acted, visually scrumptious, and deliciously subversive."

-- New York Magazine said that "Hannibal is the most beautiful series on network TV."

Given my love for both Bryan Fuller and Hugh Dancy, I've been eagerly awaiting this show since it was announced last year (and pushed back to April). Maybe this will finally break the Thursday 10PM curse for NBC...

[FneSnug]

Danish media have had a field day with some of the early reviews of this show... I've always found Mikkelsen's heavy-accented English cringe-worthy - it appears I'm not the only one. His performance is listed as 'unintelligible' in several reviews... For now, I'll only admit to being Danish when discussing Game of Thrones.

Edited by FneSnug, Apr 4, 2013 @ 10:55 AM.

[AimingforYoko]

A- from AV Club.

[brothertonbanks]

I'm guessing he will do an American accent like he did on The Big C.

I'm going to watch because Hugh Dancy is in it. I thought he was brilliant in The Big C. The subject matter doesn't interest me that much. I only watched 2 episodes of The Following, although I liked the cast there just as well as this cast.

[AimingforYoko]

I liked it. Everyone was good, and Fuller's visual style was awesome as always.
One complaint: Why this Will Graham? Thomas Harris' Will Graham was married with a kid. Sure he had trouble over-empathizing with the psychos, but Aspergers?

[liz26111]

Why this Will Graham? Thomas Harris' Will Graham was married with a kid. Sure he had trouble over-empathizing with the psychos, but Aspergers?

I wondered this too.

[car54]

It was really good but I can't stop worrying about what that sausage was made of. :(

[AimingforYoko]

It was really good but I can't stop worrying about what that sausage was made of.

Every dinner scene on this show is going to be suspect.

[dancingonmyown]

OMG me too!!! I could barely concentrate on the dialogue in that scene because the whole time I kept thinking, "I hope to God he didn't just feed Will some girl's body part".