Well Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming?
Apparently not, because CBS is currently developing a crime drama series based on Clarice Starling, the character made famous by Thomas Harris’ 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs and Jonathan Demme’s 1991 film of the same name.
Titled Clarice, the series is reportedly set in 1993, a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs. While we do get glimpses into her personal life and backstory in the original book and film, Clarice will take a deep dive into Starling’s untold personal story as she returns to the field, pursuing serial murders and sex predators and navigating the high-stakes politics of Washington D.C.
A pilot script has been written and will be filmed this season before a series order decision is made, but the intention is to go to series. A writers’ room has already been set up, with Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet serving as writers and executive producers. MGM, which owns the underlying rights, is producing the series along with CBS Television Studios in association with Secret Hideout.
Personally, I’m trying to remain optimistic about this project, but Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal may have spoiled me. It’s hard to imagine any other series creating such a rich and intriguing world, nor as much utterly insane imagery. Fingers crossed it’s still worth a watch—but until we get the long-awaited fourth season of Hannibal, I don’t have a great deal of interest in seeing these characters resurrected once more.
Words: Samantha McLaren (@themeatispeople)
