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CBS to serve up Silence of the Lambs spinoff 'Clarice' with fava beans and a nice chianti
Prepare to rub some lotion on its skin ...
CBS is diving into the horrific Silence of the Lambs mythos with a new series that will center on FBI agent Clarice Starling, the network confirmed this weekend at TCA 2020. The project is being written and executive-produced by Star Trek: Discovery vets Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet.
Set in 1993 (a year after the events of Silence), Clarice finds Agent Starling returning to fieldwork as she tracks down more serial killers and sexual predators. All the while, she'll have to navigate "the high-stakes political world" of our nation's capital.
“After more than 20 years of silence, we’re privileged to give voice to one of America’s most enduring heroes – Clarice Starling,” Kurtzman and Lumet said in a statement. “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."
MGM and CBS Television Studios are producing the upcoming series alongside Heather Kadin and Aaron Baiers.
Jodie Foster made the role of Clarice Starling famous in director Jonathan Demme's 1991 film adaptation of Silence, which was based on Thomas Harris' novel of the same name. Using the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins in an insanely iconic performance) as a resource, Starling is able to find the Ed Gein-inspired killer known as Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb (Ted Levine). The movie ended up winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Julianne Moore would take up the role of Agent Starling in the first sequel, Hannibal, which was directed by Ridley Scott and released 10 years after The Silence of the Lambs. Two more follow-ups, Red Dragon and Hannibal Rising, hit theaters in 2002 and 2007, respectively.
The last TV project to be based on Thomas Harris' literary characters was Hannibal on NBC. While the show only ran for three seasons, it was enough to become an instant classic with audiences, mainly due to Mads Mikkelsen's masterful interpretation of Dr. Lecter.
