Hannibal to nibble on Sky Atlantic in May

One of the most anticipated contemporary dramas of the year, Hannibal, is to air on Sky Living from next month. The station announced in February it had gained the rights to the NBC series.

Cast including Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelson and Lawrence Fishburne, this 13-part series from show runner Bryan Fuller takes its cue from Thomas Harris’ classic novel Red Dragon.

The story starts from the very beginning. Before Silence of the Lambs, before Red Dragon, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mikkelson) was a brilliant psychiatrist, taken on by the FBI. His task: to help an unusually gifted criminal profiler, Will Graham (Dancy), who is haunted by his ability to see into the minds of serial killers. What unfolds is a taut cat-and-mouse in this psychological thriller from the creative mind of Bryan Fuller, the force behind such imaginative television as Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls, and Dead Like Me, and the upcoming Warner Bros. movie Pinnochio.

After a particularly gruelling case hunting a serial killer known as the Minnesota Shrike, Will Graham threatens to walk away. Jack Crawford (Fishburne), the head of the FBI’s Behavioural Science Unit, desperately needs Will on his team to break the tough cases, so he enlists Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to ensure Will’s mental well-being. Unbeknownst to Will, Hannibal also has a particular insight into these horrible crimes and the psychopaths who commit them. As Will hunts down brutal killers, he is unknowingly sitting across from the most gifted killer of them all.

“We are delighted to be adding Hannibal to our lineup of quality US drama on Sky Living. …This series is perfect for Sky Living because it will appeal not only our core female audience, but to a shared one too. Plus it will complement our new original commissions which are starting to come through.” – Antonia Hurford-Jones, Director of Sky Living

Supporting roles in the series include Gillian Anderson as Lecter’s therapist and Eddie Izzard who will play an inmate at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, the very same facility where Lecter is eventually incarcerated. The drama launched on NBC stateside earlier this month.

Hannibal will be available via Sky On Demand from 1st May and airs on Sky Living on the 7th May at 10pm.