Move over Jodie Foster, there’s a new Clarice Starling in town. Over at CBS, work has begun on the drama seriesClarice, a TV series following the FBI Agent a year after the events ofSilence of the Lambsas she “hunts down new serial murderers and sexual predators while also navigating the political world of Washington D.C.” Now, the project has found its titular star, asPretty Little LiarsactressRebecca Breedshas been officially cast as the small screen version of Clarice Starling. Though the relationship between Clarice and Dr. Lecter made for some compelling storytelling, Hannibal is not expected to be a part of theClariceseries.
This will make Breeds the third actress to bring life to the Clarice character, which was originally created by author Thomas Harris for the 1988Silence of the Lambsnovel. In 1991, Jodie Foster famously played Clarice opposite Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in the movie adaptationSilence of the Lambs. An iconic performance, Foster managed to win an Oscar for Best Actress for the part. She would then pass the badge on to Julianne Moore for the 2001 movieHannibal, which served as a prequel to the original film. Breeds' take on the character is described as “brave and vulnerable” with an “inner light that draws monsters and madmen to her.”
We never saw the Clarice character appear on Bryan Fuller’sHannibalTV series with Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Lecter, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Though the show was cancelled prematurely by NBC after just three seasons, Fuller has since gone on record as saying he had hoped to include Clarice in future episodes of the show. Of course, this was dependent on if Fuller and theHannibalteam could get the rights to use that particular character. Though it never came to fruition, Fuller suggested that he saw Ellen Page as hisideal casting choice for the part. BecauseHannibalfans continue to call for a series revival to this day, it remains possible we could one day see another small screen Clarice.
An Australia native, Breeds snagged her first recurring television role on the Australian TV seriesBlue Water High. In 2013, she began appearing in her first American series when she was cast in a main role for the sitcomWe Are Men, acting opposite Kal Penn, Tony Shalhoub, Chris Smith, and Jerry O’Connell. Breeds would later land recurring roles on The CW network showsPretty Little LiarsandThe Originalsand starred in the titular role of the unsold series pilotMiranda’s Rights. She has also appeared in the moviesNewcastle,Three Summers, andSlam.
Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet are writing and executive producingClarice, with Kurtzman exec producing under his Secret Hideout banner alongside Heather Kadin. Aaron Baiers is also on board to co-executive produce. No word yet on when exactly the series will premiere on CBS. This news comes to us fromVariety.
