Over the past month or so we’ve seen another flurry of Hollywood projects looking to bring well-known TV properties to the big screen and also the reverse: movies to the small screen. This week, NBC has pre-emptively acquired a new TV series based on the Hannibal Lecter movies and books by Thomas Harris. The show is reportedly called simply Hannibal, and is being set up at Gaumont International Television with Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Heroes) on board as writer and executive producer. The character has proven his longevity and the movies and books have obviously been wildly successful, but can Hannibal find the same success on network TV?

According to Deadline, NBC has committed to a 13-episode order based on the approval of the first script. Fuller is currently writing that script, and if NBC execs like it, the show will go into production immediately without going through the pilot stage.

Once again, the popularity of Dexter on Showtime would seem to indicate that there is an audience for this kind of thing, but the material would have to censored to a certain extent in order to air during primetime hours. I also wonder how much people will care about Hannibal Lecter if he is not being played by Anthony Hopkins. The movie prequel, Hannibal Rising, which starred Gaspard Ulliel in the lead role, did not do so well. It made less in its entire domestic run than Hannibal or Red Dragon made in their opening weekends. Then again, perhaps Brian Cox could reprise his role from Manhunter? What do you think, are you interested in a Hannibal TV series?