‘Hannibal’ To Premiere On NBC This April

NBC is all set to premiere its new drama Hannibal this April.

Inspired by Thomas Harris’ bestselling novel Red Dragon, the series explores the complicated relationship between FBI agent Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter. According to Deadline, the series is slated to premiere in the Thursday 10 pm time slot.

The website explains the time slot was once the home to several other dramas that didn’t fare very well with viewers. Prime Suspect, The Firm, Awake, and the recently canceled Do No Harm are listed among the casualties.

AceShowbiz reports that producer Bryan Fuller recently made the announcement about Hannibal on his Twitter account. The post also contained a new image of Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Lecter. You can find the photo embedded below.

Fuller said in his post:

“Hannibal Requests the Honor of your Presence for Dinner Thursday April 4 10PM @NBC — Saving you a place at the table.”

In addition to Mikkelsen, Hannibal also stars Hugh Dancy as Will Graham and Laurence Fishburne as the FBI agent’s boss. Gillian Anderson will reportedly tackle the role of Dr. Lecter’s therapist.

During his conversation with Entertainment Weekly last year, Fuller explained how the new television series fits into the Hannibal Lecter storyline.

He said:

“It’s before he was incarcerated, so he’s more of a peacock. There is a cheery disposition to our Hannibal. He’s not being telegraphed as a villain. If the audience didn’t know who he was, they wouldn’t see him coming. What we have is Alfred Hitchcock’s principle of suspense — show the audience the bomb under the table and let them sweat when it’s going to go boom. So the audience knows who Hannibal is so we don’t have to overplay his villainy. We get to subvert his legacy and give the audience twists and turns.”

The latest promotional image has been included below.

Will you catch the premiere of Hannibal when it premieres on NBC this April?