Legions of dedicated Hannibal fans have suffered an agonizing wait since the show’s season 2 finale. A bloody, savage closer, it hinted at a brand new era for the series which is set to debut its third season in a little over two months.
From the small spatter of details revealed via casting announcements and teaser posters, it’s been fun assembling a rough image of what to expect from season 3. There’s been a time-hop tease, a nudge toward territory previously broached in the movie adaptations, and the biggest drop of all from series creator Bryan Fuller, who jokingly referenced the “second biggest” character in the entire Hanni-verse making an appearance.
Fuller’s propensity for dishing the dirt on his creation continued last night over on Twitter. In a series of hint-heavy Tweets, he revealed a wealth of new info on the show’s forthcoming season 3.
On the basis of the first teaser poster, and earlier discussions, it has been suggested that season 3 would spread itself over a couple of different eras. Italy will provide the backdrop for a majority of the episodes – likely mined from Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Rising and Hannibal novels – before events twist back to the Red Dragon novel. A headscratcher for sure, now that Fuller has revealed the season premiere will take place over FOUR time periods, it makes us feel a little less boggled and more willing to go along with the flow.
THE #HANNIBAL SEASON 3 OPENER TAKES PLACE OVER FOUR DIFFERENT PERIODS OF TIME #HannibalReturnsJune4
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) March 22, 2015
Francis Dolarhyde also goes by the far more sinister-sounding The Tooth Fairy, and was played by Ralph Fiennes in the 2002 big screen adaptation of Red Dragon. For this season, we know Richard Armitage is playing the part. And, he will be the prettiest belle of the ball.
CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION FOR FRANCIS DOLARHYDE’s KIMONO #HannibalReturnsJune4 @RCArmitage pic.twitter.com/tlodZEbLN2
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) March 22, 2015
Keeping the foodie motif, season 3 will orbit its episode names around various Italian culinary terms – and those first three outing will be directed by Vincenzo Natali! The man behind the seriously-underrated Adrien Brody/Sarah Polley sci-fi extravaganza Splice is on board to helm “Antipasto,” “Primavera” and “Secondo.”
FIRST 3 EPISODES OF #HANNIBAL S3 “ANTIPASTO” “PRIMAVERA” “SECONDO” DIRECTED BY VINCENZO NATALI #HANNIBALRETURNSJUNE4 pic.twitter.com/2bYScmEBst
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) March 22, 2015
Last but by no means least, Fuller announced that Neil Marshall would be on board to direct episode 8. If you’ve witnessed Marshall’s deft skill for wrenching utter terror out of normal circumstances, then you know what variety of horrors to expect.
Hannibal season 3 has a lot to live up to – especially after the brilliantly mad season 2 – but Fuller seems to have it all taken of.
EP 8 “THE GREAT RED DRAGON” DIRECTOR NEIL MARSHALL MADE THE BEST HORROR MOVIE OF THIS CENTURY #HannibalReturnsJune4 pic.twitter.com/8qAgLGD0Rj
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) March 22, 2015