The upcoming series from CBS, Clarice, follows the events of 1991's The Silence of the Lambs, which followed Clarice Starling during her investigation into the serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. He was shown in the iconic film to have had a dog, whose fate remained a mystery until now.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Clarice executive producers Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman explained Catherine Martin, Bill's captive in the 1991 film, and her upcoming appearance in the sequel series. Kurtzman stated, "Catherine Martin is a strange, fun-house-mirror version of Clarice... They both shared this hell experience, but have been marked in different ways," explaining, "Whereas Clarice is running from the fear and the pain, psychologically, Catherine is still in that well. So she is like a truth-teller." They then revealed that the dog, Precious, survived and is now in Martin's care.
"One of the ways in which Catherine has dealt with her trauma with Bill is that she has adopted Precious as her own dog – the dog that represented torture, the dog that represented the killer, the dog that represented everything." Lumet then further discussed, "The dog also represented warmth, and light and freedom. The only warmth she had in this stone room. What does that mean? Are you going to fall in love with the thing that represents the weirdest, most f--ked up thing in your life?"
Clarice is set in 1993, shortly after the events of The Silence of the Lambs. The show will see the FBI deal with the aftermath of real-life disasters, including Waco and Ruby Ridge and the first World Trade Center bombing. It follows Starling as she explores the previously male-dominated world of law enforcement, which she was forced to navigate. The series has been hindered by rights issues. For example, the show is unable to include include or mention certain characters created by Thomas Harris, including Hannibal Lecter.
The series was announced as a direct sequel to the 1991 film, with Rebecca Breeds attached to star as the titular character. The role was previously played by Jodie Foster, who won an Academy Award for her performance. She did not return for 2001's Hannibal, and the role went to actor Julianne Moore.
Clarice stars Rebecca Breeds as Clarice Starling, Michael Cudlitz as Paul Krendler, Lucca de Oliveira as Tomas Esquivel, Kal Penn as Shaan Tripathi, Nick Sandow as Agent Clarke, Devyn Tyler as Ardelia Mapp and Marnee Carpenter as Catherine Martin. The series premieres on Feb. 11, 2021, at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on CBS and CBS All Access.
Source: Entertainment Weekly