French studio Gaumont is launching a new worldwide television production and distribution division with several projects in development reports Broadcast.
Chief among them however is “Hannibal”, a one-hour drama written by Bryan Fuller (“Pushing Daisies,” “Dead Like Me”) that essentially serves as a prequel to the Hannibal Lecter films.
Expanding upon the early events alluded to in Thomas Harris’ novel “Red Dragon”, the story will be set in Lecter’s early days and the time he went head-to-head with FBI agent Will Graham.
Martha De Laurentiis (“Hannibal Rising,” “Red Dragon”) will produce. Gaumont is also developing a six-hour “Madame Tussaud” mini-series from “Elizabeth” scribe and “The Tudors” creator Michael Hirst.