Bryan Fuller makes his feature directorial debut with the Mads Mikkelsen-starring Dust Bunny this December, which reunites Fuller and Mikkelsen ten years after their NBC series “Hannibal” came to an end. Fuller has never given up hope on “Hannibal” returning to television, and he tells Screen Rant that he’s now got a particular dream scenario in mind.

“My dream project is to do a limited series of Silence of the Lambs with Mads and Zendaya as Clarice Starling,” the creator of NBC’s short-lived “Hannibal” television series tells the outlet. “If I could put anything out into the universe, I would put that into the universe.”

Fuller has made no secret of the fact that he wants to put his own spin on Silence of the Lambs within the “Hannibal” universe, but that’s a bit more complex than you might be thinking.

The reason NBC’s “Hannibal” never delved into the events of The Silence of the Lambs is because the rights to that particular story (and its characters) are held by MGM, and MGM recently brought the character back with their own series “Clarice,” which aired on CBS. The series, which came to an end after just one season, was a sequel to The Silence of the Lambs.

The De Laurentiis Company owns the rights to the character of Hannibal but not the Silence of the Lambs story/characters, which is the big hurdle Bryan Fuller would have to overcome.

Bryan Fuller has been keeping the hope alive for the return of “Hannibal” ever since NBC pulled the plug back in 2015, but at this moment in time, there seems to be no actual movement in regards to any sort of revival. “Hannibal” ran for three seasons on NBC between 2013 and 2015, and the show’s massively dedicated fanbase has been hungry for its return ever since.

It’s only a matter of time before Hannibal Lecter returns to the screen. Here’s hoping it’s Mads Mikkelsen who once again finds himself in the role. Stay tuned for more as we learn it.

‘The Silence of the Lambs’