Mads to play Hannibal Lecter in NBC series

Mads Mikkelsen To Play Hannibal Lecter In NBC Series ‘Hannibal’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday June 4, 2012 @ 12:45pm
Nellie Andreeva

Mads Mikkelsen, hot off winning the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival for The Hunt and scoring the villain role in Thor 2, has been cast as the title character in NBC’s upcoming drama series Hannibal. In his U.S. TV debut, Danish-born Mikkelsen will star opposite Hugh Dancy in the 13-episode series from Gaumont International Television, written and executive produced by Bryan Fuller and executive produced by Martha DeLaurentiis. The project is described as a contemporary thriller featuring the classic characters from Thomas Harris’ novel Red Dragon – FBI agent Will Graham (Dancy) and his mentor Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mikkelsen) — who are re-introduced at the beginning of their budding relationship. Graham a gifted criminal profiler on the hunt for a serial killer with the FBI who enlists the help of Dr. Lecter, one of the premier psychiatric minds in the country, with no clue about his darker side. The role was made famous by Anthony Hopkins who won an Oscar for Silence Of The Lambs. Mikkelsen, repped by UTA and Denmark’s Art Management, has been on a villainous streak, having also played the bad guy in the James Bond film Casino Royale. Hannibal is executive produced by Fuller, De Laurentis, Sara Colleton, Jesse Alexander and Katie O’Connell. David Slade is directing/executive producing the pilot.


Great, so he's just playing villians now..?

There are loads of articles on this now, take your pick...

I don't like these news. I never saw "The silence of the lambs" - only the beginning and it was too creepy for me. Although I really love thrilling crime stories.

I don't want to see Mads in this role. Surely it would be great, but it's no new role (he would always be compared to Anthony Hopkins) and it's just another villain. That's just the "Hollywood"-meaning: Mads Mikkelsen was a great bad guy in Casino royale, so nobody wants to see him as a good guy. Let's offer him only the bad roles.

Hopefully Mads has enough other good scripts at home for nice movies in Denmark or Europe, so he will cancel this role.

Tristran and Galahad together again.

I do rather agree with y'all, I think Mads' talent will be wasted in a TV role such as this. But
it also means more exposure to the American public and the American film industry, so MAYBE will lead to better offers on this side of the Pond. I would never want to see him stop doing European films (I seem to like them better, for some reason) but (and maybe I'm being selfish) I'd love to see him in a GOOD film without having to wait a year-or more.

That said-Mads is such an intense actor that his Hannibal Lecter will probably give me nightmares--and I'll still watch the show
(i think i am beyond help)

Well
Sorry dear Galahad girls but our Tristan would 'wup' Galahad's a#@ any day...

Yes, if only they could make him a hero - but sadly on the US if you are foreign and have a slight accent you're doomed to play baddies... Look to my Rufus!
The violence of those (TSOTL) films turned me off...Still I may watch them ...

After all I watched One Eye all through the Xmas season!

Still, Mads is so damned good he could play JarJar Binks and we'd all love it...

Still unless its on HBO it will be simplistic and dummed down...

We need Mads Rufus and my darling Eddie in a crime drama - we can call it The "Joanna Squeals for an hour or so program"


Old Charlie's Angels Theme

Once upon a time there were three brilliant sexy actors who were all wasted in a film industry run by executives with tiny tiny minds ... Until they can to work for me ...I am the Empress of Cornwall and they became "Cornwall's Cherubim" !

Images of Eddie making jokes, Mads from Unit One and Rufus.... ummmm well you understand...

Then they could fight crime assist the ladies of MaMM 2.0s with gardening tasks... or dusting... or take them on lovely picknicks... etc ...

That's it I am now completely insane!

You Americans are a little crazy, aren't you? What means that accent-thing anyway? That all foreigners are baddies? I could understand, that this was the meaning in the Cold War, when all Russians or people from the Eastern block (so I am too) were the baddies. But this is over about 20 years.

But I know, we Germans have to play the baddies as well. Especially Nazis, because one time Nazi - every time Nazi. Surely we have some stupid Neo-Nazis here (too much in my eyes), but they are only a little percentage rate of the Germans. Mostly they are only stupid and they don't think much about, the ideas of the Nazis or what happened at the second world war. They are no mad Nazis who wants to make a new "drittes Reich" again, as you can see them at American movies.

I don't like the American mentality as well (or the way they seems to be), but I'm sure, that not all Americans are like that and not all wants to make war somewhere in the world (far, far away from the USA and their homes).

Well, that's a different theme.

@Hannibal & OneEye
I'm not sure, if you could compare them. Of course the scenes in Valhalla rising are very brutal, but they are very short and less than 5 minutes of the whole movie. I think, Hannibal could show his violence more often in the movie/series.

@Your story
That sounds to boring for me. I want some more action in this story. They must be heroes, fight for us (to see their strength and muscles) and maybe after that they steel a wonderful flower bucket for us and then we have the romantic scenes. I don't need a butler or servant. Who cares, if the house is clean, while you kissing Mads?

Luin wrote:

You Americans are a little crazy, aren't you? What means that accent-thing anyway? That all foreigners are baddies? I could understand, that this was the meaning in the Cold War, when all Russians or people from the Eastern block (so I am too) were the baddies. But this is over about 20 years.
But I know, we Germans have to play the baddies as well. Especially Nazis, because one time Nazi - every time Nazi. Surely we have some stupid Neo-Nazis here (too much in my eyes), but they are only a little percentage rate of the Germans. Mostly they are only stupid and they don't think much about, the ideas of the Nazis or what happened at the second world war. They are no mad Nazis who wants to make a new "drittes Reich" again, as you can see them at American movies.
I don't like the American mentality as well (or the way they seems to be), but I'm sure, that not all Americans are like that and not all wants to make war somewhere in the world (far, far away from the USA and their homes).
Well, that's a different theme.

@Your story
That sounds to boring for me. I want some more action in this story. They must be heroes, fight for us (to see their strength and muscles) and maybe after that they steel a wonderful flower bucket for us and then we have the romantic scenes. I don't need a butler or servant. Who cares, if the house is clean, while you kissing Mads?

HE HE HE

I agree with you Luin - its very very silly about accents and Hollywood films...

But I thought you didn't want to kiss Mads! HE HE HE
I think my foolish idea for "Cornwall's Cherubim" is extremely silly too - its just meant really to show how fine actors are not always recognized beyond stereotypes.

Actually I think Mads ought to do a romantic comedy - all about misunderstandings and mistaken communications... He could play a fine Danish actor who is always miscast in Blockbuster American films...his efforts to prove himself to a director could lead to a screwball comedy situation...

BIF- do please be a darling girl and get Woody on the telephone... lets see whats he's up to.

J

Empress of Cornwall wrote:

But I thought you didn't want to kiss Mads! HE HE HE

Yes that's true. First he's a smoker. Second he would either think I'm just an actress he has to kiss or he'd think about his wife. And third: He isn't the man I'm searching for.

But if he would turn into Leyron, the guy who's looks like him (ok like Tristan) in my role play game, then I would surely kiss him and you girls wouldn't have any chance to get near to him. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish Mads and Leyron for me.


Oh yes, I really want to see Mads in a nice romantic comedy. Not as a gay man like in "Shake it all about". And not a stupid Hollywood story. He could have some rough edges too. Surely Mads gets only stupid comedys yet, so he prefer the good dramas. I'm glad that he won't die in "Jagten". That's a step into the right way.

I never saw "Shake it all about" or "Adams Apples" ...I will have to try to get those!

I really doubt that Mads is going to do this Hanibal series - I don't think he would want to leave his family for so long.

J

"Shake it all about" isn't a good film. It's very boring. Mads acts good, of course, but there are a lot of stereotypes in the movie.

"Adam's apples" is still my favorite movie. I can watch it over and over again and I have always to laugh and be impressed by the touching characters and the curious story which goes its own way without thinking about if it's possible or not (miracles can always happen). I love the several messages this movie left after watching it. And it's so strange to laugh about things which are very cruel or bad. You should really see this movie. I watched after that "Flickering lights" and "The green butchers", but they have not such a good and charming, funny story like Adam's apples.

@Hanibal series:
Maybe Carl would spent a year in America. But then you don't take your parents with you. And Viola is old enough to go her own way. Hanne maybe could get an job in America too. It's all possible. But I cross my fingers, that Mads wouldn't do that. He could work in Germany instead, if you ask me. Would be nice to, if he works in my hometown (or wherever I will find a job) and I see him every day. Surely I will tell him your greetings or embrace him for you.

I agree Luin - an acting job for him in Germany would be wonderful... Maybe they could write a story about Ivan from "Adams apples" set some years after...and film it at your church!

You could act as his liason in the area!
Maybe they could cast you in the film and then YOU would become an overnight success - LUIN the new red headed darling of German Cinema!

I will go see you - I promise!
Lol

A movie in our church? Oh it's impossible. I'm catholic and our priests don't have wives or lovers (or they shouldn't). And Ivan doesn't look that nice at the end of the movie. There was too much violence for him. I would never want to live with a guy like Ivan (he's as mad as Svend), but he has a great heart. I like that.

I would say I'm not beautiful enough for a Hollywood movie, but the Danish people looks very normal, so it's maybe possible to get a role besides Mads. It must be wonderful to act with a person like him, who wants to make it perfect and who wants to know in detail, how his character would react. That's what I wanted to, while I was acting at a students theater. I want to make it perfect, but my colleagues don't want it. It was just a hobby for them (for me too, but what's important for me, I want to make as perfect as possible), so I have to take, what I get. Mads would do it perfect too. But at the end it wouldn't be maybe fun for me, because he is a professional and I could never act like him. I could be disappointed then.

Perhaps I can sing in the movie. That's my best talent, I think. And I suppose I could do that better than Mads. I could sing a Blessing in Norwegian. I sang it last weekend at the Gospel-Church-Day in the concert of our choir and I was asked later, if I can speak Norwegian. So I act so good, that the people thought I sang the right words/pronunciation. Or I will sing together with Mads "How deep is your love", because it's the favorite song of Ivan.

Now I really want to see this film!

I still don't think that the Hannibal American tv program is a very serious possibility... but I may well be wrong!

PS No more of this silly "I'm not beautiful enough" rubbish !

You are quite lovely - I am certain of it!
It's all about charm - that's what Mads has - charm!

Here's a new article. I don't understand it: Is it sure/safe (whatever), that Mads will play this part or do they only think/hope, that he will do it? (The German google translation is even worse than my own. )

I couldn't imagine, that Mads will play something for such a long time. Because if it's successful, there will be more seasons. He won't have many times for good movies anymore. That would be so sad!

Quote :

Mikkelsen rising: Mega-stardom beckons with 'Hannibal’ role

Ben Hamilton
June 5, 2012 - 13:55

Country’s most famous actor set to become one of the biggest names around

Mikkelsen will have a tough task being as compelling as Anthony Hopkins was as Hannibal
Many predicted that Mads Mikkelsen would climb another rung on the Hollywood ladder following his acceptance of the best actor award at Cannes, but few would have guessed he would have jumped right to the top by landing the lead part in a TV series that could easily become the decade's biggest.

Mikkelsen learned this week that he has beaten off extremely tough competition to play Dr Hannibal Lecter in the upcoming NBC series ‘Hannibal’. It is one of the most coveted roles of 2013.

Following in the footsteps of other successful TV series in which the main character is a serial killer (‘The Sopranos’, ‘Dexter’), it features arguably the most popular cinematic antihero of the last 30 years.

During that time, the Lithuanian-born doctor has been one of the central characters in five films: ‘Manhunter’ (1986), ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991), ‘Hannibal’ (2001), ‘Red Dragon’ (2002) and ‘Hannibal Rising’ (2007). The most successful of these, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, became only the third film in history to win the four main Oscar awards (film, director, actor and actress). Anthony Hopkins won the best actor award for playing Lecter, despite only having 16 minutes on screen. And in 2003, Lecter was named the best villain of all time on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest screen characters.

The series will be filmed over the summer and is expected to debut in the US in November and run for 13 episodes. Should it be successful, it is likely to run for another six seasons. Hugh Dancy (‘The Big C’) has signed up to play FBI agent Will Graham, the main character in Thomas Harris’s book that introduced the character of Lecter, ‘Red Dragon’ (1981).

The series creator is Bryan Fuller (‘Heroes’, ‘Pushing Daisies’), and the executive producer list reads like a who’s who of US primetime television, including Sarah Colleton (‘Dexter’) and Jesse Alexander (‘Lost’). David Slade (‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse') will direct the pilot.

The casting caps a fantastic couple of months for an actor who until recently was Denmark’s most successful movie star, but a character actor in Hollywood at best – despite his outing as the main Bond villain in ‘Casino Royale’ (2006). Indeed, it was only last year that a journalist noticed he had recently appeared in no less than four films playing a man with a disfigured or missing eye.

But winning the Cannes prize for best actor for his role in Thomas Vinterberg’s ‘The Hunt’ clearly opened the world’s eyes to his talent, and his role in ‘Hannibal’ could see him leave the monocular moniker of One-eyed Mads well and truly behind him.

Source: The Copenhagen Post

It might be a coveted role but I still don't know if our Mads will take it!

I would probably watch the series if it were made especially for him - if it were made...but I still doubt it.

I rather hope he won't go "Hollywood" ...better to make great films -maybe they could all be filmed in Luins home town!

Empress of Cornwall wrote:

I would probably watch the series if it were made especially for him - if it were made...but I still doubt it.

An entry for 'Hannibal' TV series appears on Mads' IMDB page between 'Voice From the Stone' and 'The Stolen'.
Looks like Mads is signed on.
Should be interesting, I've never had a nightmare with Mads in it, but there's a first ime for everything

Thanks for the update darling Maggie!

I just don't understand when he will have time for this...What with "Move On", and completing "Michael Kohlhaus" and "Countryman"?

How long will the series take to write, film and produce?

Could one film a season in 9 months...a year? So we might view it in the fall of 2013? 2014?

I can never quite understand how complex this process is.

But can write on Mads' IMDB page anyway? Mads surely not (because of the technical things). Maybe everybody could write something into the list, so it's not for sure, that Mads will do it.

I can't really believe it. I remembered an interview and there he told, how boring it was for him to play at TV-series and that he doesn't want to do this again. And in America? I'm sure he as enough good offers for more films in Europe or maybe in America too. But for films.

It could only be, that he loves the character of Hanibal so he wants to do it because of that.

I can't believe, that they work still at "Michael Kohlhaas". Maybe there are some discussions about rights, so that it can't start right now. They made the post-production between the Berlinale, I think. And that was last December.

I cross my fingers, that Mads will stay at Denmark. He's such a talented actor and I can't believe, that even he could change America to make better, realistic movies about life. I would like to search some arthouse cinemas to watch Mads movies there, then see him in boring or typical American movies/series with a lot of action, but no deep character. I can't imagine Mads having a US-flag in front of his house.

Maybe we should kidnap him, so that he has to stay in Europe! If he has a lot of sweet ladies in the house, then he won't miss America! And he could work in Europe too. We could go to the shooting with him, to make sure, that he won't escape. I would learn the text lines with him - and I don't want to know, what you will do with him! I would kidnap his wife too.

I agree about better films for him in Denmark and Germany...
Mads and Hollywood?
Well I don't think that the US is ready for anything but silly one dimentional characters..

Kidnapping him!

That sounds like BIF!

But I don't want him as a naked servant! He could do his job and have his hobbies. He only have to stop smoking and stay. What a perfect life for him.

Well his family will want to move in - so I do hope you have a big house!



Luin, you are a good and honorable person - so I do hope that you won't tell me or BIF where you live once Mads has been "actor napped"...

I don't know if I can have as much self control as you have!

Hm. I don't have a house. Maybe it would be easier, if we would live at Mads home. This is big enough for his family and me. I've bought today Danish cheese. If it is tasty, I will ask Mads, if we could live in his own house. What a strange idea.

It's no self control for me. I don't love Mads as a man. I adore him for his talent and his character. He's just a charming man - who is to old for me anyway. I know a lot of nice guys and I don't have the wish to take their clothes off. Maybe I'm just a romantic person, who must fall in love to really want see someone naked.

Good point! I might moan over Mads...hehe...
But in fact if I were to meet Mads, I feel certain I would just smile and tell him how much I have enjoyed his work...

On the very rare occasion that I have a dream about Mads the person its just like that - we chat politely - I tell him that I really enjoy his work and its just nice...

Now my dreams about the characters of Draco, Rochefort or Svend are altogether naughty ...

J

Mads would be very happy, if you tell him, how much you adore his work. He's so pretty relaxed and he loves, what he's doing. So he would talk with you with pleasure - if he got the time.

What you dream about characters is something different, I think. But I can't imagine, how you could want Svend! He's crazy and not very tough. He may make a very good marinade but he sells human flesh. I don't want to eat with him at all.

Well the Hannibal series is in "pre production" whatever that means ...

Maybe it will be scrapped due to poor scripts...
I just don't know how Mads can manage all this stuff!

@Luin - I can't help the strange fact that I really think Svend is sexy - I imagine that he's sweet down deep and needy and I guess I just want to comfort him... in my dreams we are not ummm "eating"...

Quote :

NBC casts Bond villain as Hannibal Lecter

by James Hibberd, JUN 4 2012, 03:45 PM ET

Ready to meet the new Dr. Hannibal Lecter?

After a long search, NBC and writer-producer Bryan Fuller have found the star of their upcoming drama series Hannibal.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen has landed the coveted role. You may not recognize his name, but we consider the actor a great get. He’s best known as the blood-crying villain Le Chiffre from the James Bond film Casino Royale and was just honored with the best actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt. He also had a supporting role in the Clash of the Titans reboot and was recently offered a villain role in Thor 2.

A couple fairly well known actors were strongly considered for the NBC gig (we’ll be nice and not say who), which depicts the Silence of the Lambs villain in his serial killing prime. By choosing Mikkelsen, Fuller opted for an actor who is lesser known than some of the other names in the mix, but is also potentially more interesting. When casting Lecter, it’s crucial to find an actor who can make the part his own and compete with the Oscar-winning performance of Anthony Hopkins. A familiar face isn’t necessary for the gig, and would likely even be a distraction. Plus, the man’s first name is Mads. How cool is that?

In Fuller’s Hannibal, FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) enlists renowned psychiatrist Dr. Lecter for his assistance solving crimes, not realizing he’s secretly the most monstrous killer of them all. Fuller recently spoke to EW.com about the series.
“It’s before he was incarcerated, so he’s more of a peacock,” Fuller says. “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.”

Now that Hannibal‘s two starring roles are cast, NBC is expected to quickly fill the supporting parts. Hannibal is a 13-episode series that will likely premiere sometime next season. Martha De Laurentiis (Red Dragon), Sara Colleton (Dexter), Jesse Alexander (Lost), and Katie O’Connell serve as executive producers along with Fuller.

Source: Inside TV

Well. I still hope, that Mads will cancel this role. That's nothing for him. Only a step backwards.

There are some news in German too about this role, but nothing new. Only the same stuff.

@Empress:
I'm not sure, if I want to know, what you're doing with Svend. But it's nice, that you have a big heart even for such strange persons.

I dreamed last night, that my brother in law looked like Mads. And we had a bit trouble last time with him in our family so it was so strange, when someone with Mads face and body looks at you, you don't like him (or the real person he is in the dream) and then you realize, that you adore him for the way he looks - or for looking like the person you adore in real life. It was of course sad too, that my sister was married with him and not me. Mads had, by the way, greyish hair. Looks like on the Cannes pictures this year. He smiled at me in my dream - even if it was only my brother in law. But he looks pretty smart.