‘Hannibal’ Star Mads Mikkelsen Claims There Is “Always” Hope for a Season 4

Hannibal Lecter is one of the most terrifying characters in movie history, which inspired one of the more boundary-pushing horror TV series of the decade with Hannibal. The series was canceled after its third season, with fans still hoping we get more stories focusing on the character. Star Mads Mikkelsen is still keeping the door open for a new season to happen somehow.

“I think there’s always new hope,” Mikkelsen shared with Bloody Disgusting when asked about a new season. “I haven’t heard anything specific. I know [creator] Bryan [Fuller] is still working on some ideas where we can find a new home for this. I also have a strong feeling that everybody who was involved in it would gladly pick up the glove again if that happens.”

The series aired on NBC and, while it built a passionate following, never scored big ratings, leading to its demise. Making matters all the more frustrating is that the 2015 series finale left things open-ended for our main characters.

With streaming services like Netflix and Hulu becoming go-to sources of content for TV fans, one theory is that such a service could obtain the necessary rights to the series to continue it on a new platform.

“I don’t know where they looked,” Mikkelsen noted. “That is above my paycheck, but I know they’ve been talking to different studios.”

Most audiences’ familiarity with the character was sparked by the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, which earned multiple accolades and sequels. Many of these films were inspired by a series of novels from author Thomas Harris, with Hannibal incorporating much of those novels’ influences. The actor explained how Fuller was in the process of developing a storyline that would focus on the Silence of the Lambs narrative when Hannibal was canceled.

“I know that [Fuller] was working to get the rights to Silence of the Lambs so he could get in there and use some of those characters for his own universe,” Mikkelsen explained. “I have a hunch that might be where we’re going.”

Following the series’ ending, Mikkelsen went on to star in Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars projects, with Fuller going on to work on projects like American Gods and Star Trek: Discovery. In addition to finding a new studio and securing the rights to various entities, a fourth season would also rely on their availability, as well as star Hugh Dancy, to move forward.

Stay tuned for details on the future of Hannibal.

Do Mikkelsen’s comments have you hopeful about the future of Hannibal? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!