When taking on the role of cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the NBC series Hannibal, actor Mads Mikkelsen had some rather large shoes to fill. Anthony Hopkins had delivered a legendary performance of the character in The Silence of the Lambs and its sequels that couldn't ever be replicated. Mikkelsen was tasked with making the role unique as a new version of the character for the NBC series, and surprised everyone with a fantastic performance of his own. After running for three seasons on the network, the show was brought to a close, but Mikkelsen has revealed that developer Bryan Fuller is still looking to revive the series with a new studio.

"I haven't heard anything specific. I know Bryan is still working on some ideas where we can find a new home for this. I also have a strong feeling that everybody who was involved in it would gladly pick up the glove again if that happens. I don't know where they looked. That is above my paycheck, but I know they've been talking to different studios. I know that [Fuller] was working to get the rights to Silence of the Lambs so he could get in there and use some of those characters for his own universe. I have a hunch that might be where we're going."

While Mads Mikkelsen isn't privy to the inner workings of a potential revival, he says there's "always hope" for Hannibal to come back one day. With Fuller and Mikkelsen both on board, fans would certainly love to see new episodes of the series continue the story. The idea that another season could explore Silence of the Lambs, offering a new take on the classic movie with Mikkelsen as Lecter, sounds very intriguing. There's clearly more story left to tell for Fuller and Mikkelsen, so at a time when so many other TV shows and movies are getting new reboots and sequels, hopefully it's just a matter of time until Hannibal gets the same treatment.

Declining ratings led to NBC axing Hannibal after three seasons. It wasn't for a lack of quality, however, as the show garnered constant critical praise. Mikkelsen's performance as Hannibal and the show's visual style were considered to be among the highlights. Considered to be one of the highest-quality TV shows of the horror genre, Hannibal would win many awards at the Saturn Awards. This includes a Best Actor win for Mikkelsen and a Best Action-Thriller Series award for its third and final season.

Mikkelsen may or may not play Hannibal Lecter again, but he can soon be seen in a new movie on Netflix. Based on a noir comic series of the same name, Polar will be available for streaming beginning on Jan. 25. The comics tell the story of retired hitman Kaiser Black, who is forced out of retirement when he is targeted by an assassin of his own. Filled with excessive violence, the minimalist style of the comics are light on color and details, featuring an odd absence of traditional speech balloons with dialogue.

No studio has yet ordered new episodes of Hannibal, so it's best not to get too excited just yet. Still, as Mikkelsen says, there's always hope for a return to the series one day, both for him and for the fans. In the meantime, we can all appreciate Mikkelsen in his other acting projects. This information comes to us from Bloody Disgusting.