The CBS TV series Clarice–a spinoff from and sequel to the 1991 Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs–is moving closer to its premiere next year–adding several new cast members this week.
The new show, as reported here in Horror News Network, already lined up Rebecca Breeds to play F.B.I. Special Agent Clarice Starling, and now she will be joined by Marnee Carpenter (Criminal Minds) in another lead role, as reported by comicbook.com.
Carpenter will portray Catherine Martin, the character who was rescued by Starling from the basement of the infamous Buffalo Bill in the classic film. Brooke Smith played Martin in the movie version.
The series also has lined up Jayne Atkinson (also of Criminal Minds), Shawn Doyle (The Expanse) and Tim Guinee (Homeland) in recurring roles. Atkinson will play Attorney General Ruth Martin, Catherine’s mother; Doyle will portray Starling’s therapist at the F.B.I.’s Quantico headquarters; and Guinee is cast as Novak, leader of a secessionist military group.
The series–slated for a mid-season debut in 2021–is set in 1993, one year after the events in The Silence of the Lambs. In this storyline, Starling–following her harrowing experiences with Dr. Hannibal Lecter–returns to her F.B.I. work, pursuing “serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high-stakes political world of Washington, D.C..”
Starling, armed with her double major in psychology and criminology, finds her bravery “gives her an inner light that draws monsters and madmen to her. And her drive comes from her need to escape the burden of family secrets that have haunted her throughout her life.”
Elizabeth Klaviter serves as showrunner, alongside executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet. Kurtzman said in a statement that Klaviter’s “extraordinary body of work, her wit and her unique perspective will be invaluable” to the success of the series.
The Silence of the Lambs–the cinematic springboard for Clarice–was based on the 1988 novel by Thomas Harris and starred Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. The film–directed by Jonathan Demme–won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay, and performed just as well at the box office, grossing $273 million worldwide on a $19-million budget.
Keep reading Horror News Network for further updates on Clarice on CBS.
