Hannibal Creator Wants Zendaya To Play Clarice Starling In A Potential Silence Of The Lambs-Themed Revival

Zendaya could be stepping into an iconic, Oscar-winning role, if Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller has anything to say about it.

Even though Hannibal ended its run on NBC a decade ago, Fuller hasn't given up on the idea of bringing the blood-soaked thriller back to TV someday — and when he does, he'd love to bring the Euphoria star into the fold.

"My dream project is to do a limited series of Silence of the Lambs with [Hannibal star] Mads [Mikkelsen] and Zendaya as Clarice Starling," Fuller tells ScreenRant. "If I could put anything out into the universe, I would put that into the universe." (For the record, no such series, or any Hannibal revival, has been officially announced yet.)

The 1991 film version of Silence of the Lambs starred Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as serial killer Hannibal Lecter, with both Foster and Hopkins winning Oscars for their roles. NBC's Hannibal, though, never featured Clarice, since they didn't have the rights to Silence of the Lambs at the time. (In 2021, CBS aired a short-lived drama based on the character, Clarice, with Rebecca Breeds in the title role.)

Hannibal starred Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as FBI profiler Will Graham; it wrapped up a three-season run in 2015. But ever since, talks of a revival have popped up now and again, with Mikkelsen saying in 2023 that "there's always a chance" we'll get to see more Hannibal.

Zendaya, meanwhile, will return for Season 3 of HBO's Euphoria next year as recovering teen addict Rue; the role won her an Emmy in 2022 for best lead actress in a drama. She also has a slew of big-screen blockbusters lined up, including the sequels Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dune: Part Three and director Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey.

Would Zendaya make a good Clarice? Let us know what you think of Fuller's dream casting in a comment below.