CBS has just closed a deal to make The Silence Of The Lambs sequel series. The new show, titled Clarice, will focus on the Clarice Sterling character after the events of the iconic movie. A pilot script has already been written and the network is pursuing a full series order. With that being said, the pilot will have to be cast and shot before the network makes its final decision on whether to move forward or not. With something as big as The Silence Of The Lambs, it will more than likely get the green light.
Casting has yet to take place for Clarice, but one can assume that it will be a very high profile role. The series is set in 1993, a year after the events of Silence of the Lambs. The story will focus on the untold personal story of Clarice Starling, “as she returns to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high stakes political world of Washington, D.C.” Hannibal Lecter is not expected to have a part in the show.
Clarice is written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, who are excited with the possibility of giving the world a better view into the life of Clarice Starling. The series is produced by MGM, which owns the rights to the movies, and CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s CBS Studios-based Secret Hideout. Kurtzman and Lumet had this to say about the show.
“After more than 20 years of silence, we’re privileged to give voice to one of America’s most enduring heroes – Clarice Starling. Clarice‘s bravery and complexity have always lit the way, even as her personal story remained in the dark. But hers is the very story we need today: her struggle, her resilience, her victory. Her time is now, and always.”
This isn’t the first time that a series based on Clarice Starling has been attempted. Back in 2012, Lifetime set out to make their own show that would feature a young version of the character as she graduates from the FBI academy. The show was not able to get off the ground and did not move forward. However, 2020 might just be the perfect time for Clarice to debut, especially with the extreme popularity of the true crime genre.
The Silence of the Lambs novel was written by Thomas Harris and originally published in 1988. Harris had a backstory for Clarice Starling, which involved growing up in West Virginia with her police officer father. Her father was later killed and she was sent to an orphanage after running away from her uncle’s farm in Montana. She ends up joining the FBI academy later in life. Clarice could delve further into her backstory and childhood, though it’s unclear if they’ll be using Harris’ source material. Deadline was the first to announce the upcoming Clarice series.
