Hannibal: 10 Things We Won't Get To See

Thomas Harris’ novel Hannibal Rising is a prequel detailing the history of the character from childhood to young adulthood, as he experiences the loss of his parents and his sister – the latter of which opens the door to his psychopathic urges. The book was adapted into a film starring Gaspard Ulliel as the young Lecter, following the same story. Neither were particularly well received – the movie in particular was panned, and bombed at the box office.

Aspects of this back story – including mention of Lecter’s sister Mischa – have surfaced in season three of Hannibal already, but what with there being only two episodes to go in Florence and the remainder of the Mason Verger storyline to play out, followed by the Red Dragon storyline in the final half of the season, it’s unlikely we’ll get to see any of the grim story of revenge told in Hannibal Rising, or witness the birth of Lecter’s cannibalistic modus operandi.

Many would say that, considering the poor reception that the novel and film received, the less this part of the franchise is referenced in the far superior television show, the better. They might also point out that too much explanation removes some of the mystique from the character. There’s something to be said for that, just as there’s something to be said for unexpected revelations adding poignancy to a characterisation: and if anyone could have taken the clumsy sow’s ear of Hannibal Rising and turned it into a narrative silk purse, it’s Fuller and his team.