Bryan Fuller: NBC wanted John Cusack or Hugh Grant to play Hannibal

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Showrunner Bryan Fuller was not ready for the Hannibal television series to end when NBC cancelled the show after three seasons. He had other stories he wanted to tell with the characters of Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), and the actors were willing to return. That cancellation happened back in 2015, but Fuller had to wait two years after the last airing before he could take the project anywhere else. Since 2017, he has been trying to find a network or streaming service that would be willing to revive Hannibal. Unfortunately, he hasn't had any luck so far.

Speaking with Collider, Fuller said he has had 

conversations with Hugh and Mads and the cast, in terms of like, ‘This is what we would do if we were allowed to come back.’ There’s some ideas that I’m very excited about that continue the strange trajectory of season 3. But I have not been approached. I’ve knocked on every door and rang every bell. Martha and I, every couple of years, 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. What I love about Netflix platforming the show now is there’s an opportunity for it to be seen as a Netflix show and maybe that will reconfigure their appetite, so to speak. But nobody has said anything to me, and believe me, like the nickel hooker on the red light district I am hanging out the window, waving my legs. They know I’m ready."

During the conversation, Fuller also revealed that he had to fight for months to get Mads Mikkelsen cast as Hannibal, because NBC wanted bigger names like John Cusack and Hugh Grant: 

It was an interesting dance because I’d say, ‘Mads Mikkelsen!’ and they’d say, ‘No, how about Hugh Grant?’ and I’d say, ‘Great, make an offer, he’s gonna say no,’ then they’d make an offer and he’d say no, and I’d be like, ‘What about Mads Mikkelsen?’ and they’d be like, ‘Well what about John Cusack?’ and I’d say, ‘Great, make an offer, he’s gonna say no’ and they’d make an offer and he’d say no, I’d say, ‘What about Mads Mikkelsen?’ That carousel went around for three or four months after we had cast Hugh [Dancy], it was going on for a while. Finally I just said, ‘Mads is the guy, that’s the guy I see in the role and I have to write it and I have to champion it and I have to understand it,’ and Jennifer Salke at NBC bless her heart was like, ‘Okay, that’s your guy. I believe you and trust you and I’m excited about your vision for the show’."

Mikkelsen went on to do a great job as Hannibal and – even though he had to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Hopkins and Brian Cox – managed to make the character his own. It's tough to imagine Cusack or Grant in the role.

Maybe someday we'll get to see Mikkelsen bring Hannibal to life once again, if anybody ever steps up and orders some new episodes.