Silence of the Lambs sequel series Clarice won’t mention Hannibal Lecter – here’s why

New show focuses on the life of Clarice Starling after the events depicted in The Silence of the Lambs

Clarice, the new TV series that serves as a sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, focuses on Clarice Starling, the FBI investigators who works with Hannibal Lecter to unmask Buffalo Bill.

But viewers shouldn't expect any direct references to Lecter in the new programme, even though it takes place after the events depicted in The Silence of the Lambs. The reasons for this have to do with who owns the rights to various characters in the franchise.

The Silence of the Lambs was published in 1988 by author Thomas Harris. The novel was then adapted into the Oscar-winning 1991 film of the same name, starring Jodie Foster as Starling and Anthony Hopkins as Lecter.

However, while Lecter's name is closely associated with The Silence of the Lambs, the character himself makes his first appearance in a different novel: Red Dragon, published by Harris in 1981, of which The Silence of the Lambs is a sequel.

This is relevant in the context of Clarice because, according to The Wrap, rights to the characters are divided between two companies – MGM, which works on Clarice, and the Dino De Laurentiis Company.

As Clarice showrunner Elizabeth Klaviter told the publication, CBS holds the rights to characters introduced in The Silence of the Lambs, but not to those introduced prior to that.

Based on that rule, Starling can be featured in the programme, but Lecter – whose creation predates The Silence of the Lambs – can't.

Alex Kurtzman, an executive producer on Clarice, previously told Entertainment Weekly: "I’m still trying to understand how the rights are divided. But it's been quite liberating because we have no interest in writing about Hannibal — not because we didn't love the films and the show, but because it was done so well by so many people that it didn't feel fresh for us.”

The first episode of Clarice airs on 11 February on CBS.