After setting perhaps the best example of an on-again, off-again relationship with the media and streaming services, NBC’s Hannibal has a new update.
The NBC show recently celebrated the 11th anniversary of its premiere on April 4th, and the day came with some exciting news. Hannibal costars Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal Lecter) and Hugh Dancy (Will Graham) are appearing together at a panel, where they will discuss Hannibal together for the first time since 2020.
For Hannibal fans such as myself, this seemed to be yet another sign of the long-awaited and ever-elusive season 4 of this beloved show. Fans have been after renewal for almost a decade, even creating a petition to raise awareness of the demand. As rumors over a fourth season continue to swirl, should Hannibal fans consider this panel another dead end, or the ignition for the renewal they’ve been waiting for?
A lack of interest in the show’s resurgence is not an obstacle: virtually all of the cast has expressed an interest in returning, and since Hannibal became available on Netflix in 2020, people have speculated on how to allow the show to return, and what could stand in its way. The show also garnered an even larger audience through its accessibility on Netflix, with many people using the platform to experience the show for the first time (myself included).
After Netflix, the discourse on Hannibal continued through 2021, when Hannibal fanart was hung in the U.S. Capitol, even prompting a New Jersey congressman’s reply to creator Bryan Fuller’s retweet.
The discourse seemed too frequent to be fruitless. However, after Hannibal’s Netflix contract expired, fans were once again left high and dry, and many seemed to think the chances of further seasons ended with it.
After Hannibal’s coming and going on Hulu and a lack of substantial updates, another announcement nearly stole the breath from my chest. In November of 2022, Hannibal showrunner, director, and writer Bryan Fuller and Mads Mikkelsen were confirmed to be working together yet again in the upcoming horror film Dust Bunny. As Bryan Fuller’s directorial movie debut, having Mikkelsen and Fuller working together creatively was a massive callback to their Hannibal days. The pairing left fans hoping for more content like the show’s dramatic, decadent horror aesthetic.
In February of 2024, just two months ago, Mads Mikkelsen talked at length about the show and even hinted at knowing some of Fuller’s ideas for a future season. In an article discussing Mikkelsen’s latest update, ScreenRant posits that the perfect time for the show to be renewed would be on the tenth anniversary of its finale, “The Wrath of the Lamb,” on August 29, 2015. The tenth anniversary of the premiere has come and gone: the time for a grand reveal has never been better.
In just four months, 2024 has already provided more room for fans to hope. After a history of close calls and repeated disappointment, is this panel, and Mikkelsen’s interview, the beginning of a streaming service’s interest in picking up the show? Or is it just another earnest attempt by the cast to return to a project that has touched so many people?
Fannibals everywhere, don’t hold your breath— but keep streaming the show and making a ruckus. Someday, someone might listen. This is our design.
Watch Hannibal now on Amazon Prime, or for free on Tubi, and join the hype.