Is ‘Hannibal’ getting a season 4 on Amazon? The truth revealed
Hannibal was a critical darling during its initial run, but low ratings led to its cancellation after only three seasons. It wasn’t until the show was added to Netflix in June that it blossomed into the binging phenomenon it was always destined to be. The renewed interest in Hannibal has proven so fervent that rumors have begun to surface about a possible revival.
Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller has been vocal about his desire for a fourth season, but he’s been unable to secure a green light. “I have not been approached. I’ve knocked on every door and rang every bell,” he told Collider. “Every couple of years, [we] pick up our bags and go door to door and see if anybody’s interested in revisiting. The biggest hurdle is that we were somebody else’s show.”
Fuller isn’t the only person lobbying for Hannibal to return. Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy have stated that they’d love to reprise their starring roles as Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, respectively. Dancy even told Entertainment Weekly that the show is “glaringly” incomplete in its current form. “I’m sorry to say, but if we never see them again, then they never made it from their fall off the cliff,” he joked.
Glaringly incomplete
Mikkelsen discussed his dismay over the show’s cancellation during a recent interview with Express. “Season 4 was actually the one we thought we’d definitely get. Seasons 2 & 3 were on the verge,” he revealed. “We didn’t know whether Hannibal would be renewed. But by the time we got to season 4 we thought it was definite. We were very surprised at the decision.”
The actor confirmed that he would return to Hannibal regardless of how long it takes to secure a fourth season. “[The future] all depends on Bryan. He is the key, the base, the heart,” Mikkelsen stated. “We all know that we can easily pick this up in two or three years, there are breaks in the stories. We could pick it up, say, four years later. If Bryan is up for it, we will all go for it.”
The Hannibal writing staff has teased numerous story possibilities for season 4, including an adaptation of the seminal Lecter novel The Silence of the Lambs. “I hope we get the opportunity to do that,” Fuller admitted. “I would love to see Hannibal: The Silence of the Lambs and see Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal with Clarice Starling. As long as I’m alive, I’ll be trying to do that.”
Long term plans
Fuller discussed his intentions for another Hannibal season as far back as 2015. After the show’s cancellation, he told Vulture that he intended to see the story through to its proper conclusion. “NBC canceled the show on NBC,” Fuller asserted. “But that does not preclude us from being able to take the show elsewhere.”
Fuller pitched Hannibal to Amazon and Netflix, but both platforms turned him down. Still, the showrunner considers Netflix to be his number one choice. “What I love about Netflix platforming the show now is there’s an opportunity for it to be seen as a Netflix show,” he explained. “Maybe that will reconfigure their appetite, so to speak.”
Fuller provided a Hannibal update during a recent cast & crew reunion on Nerdist. He assured fans he’s still committed to making season 4 a reality, and he remains “hopeful” about the future of the show.
“The great thing about the idea that I’ve shared with members of the cast in terms of where we’re going, is that if we are going to be meeting [Hannibal and Will again] and it takes five, six, seven years or what have you, that’s just how long they’ve been on the lam as it were,” Fuller explained. “Then the story picks up from that point. And we’ll adapt.”
