‘Hannibal’ Season 3 Sets Summer Premiere, Plus Time Jump Ahead?

NBC’s darkly delicious ‘Hannibal’ has always proven a delectable course in winter or spring, but the third season entree will have to wait a bit longer. NBC has yet to set an official premiere date for the Bryan Fuller-helmed horror series’ third season, though it seems the good doctor’s vacation has been extended to summer 2015.

As announced by NBC brass at the TCA press tour panel, ‘Hannibal’ season 3 is currently on track for a summer 2015 premiere, diverging from last year’s February start date. The inaugural season of the series premiered in April of 2013, acting as a midseason replacement for whatever failed series NBC would pull from the lineup.

That said, summer 2015 may not be the only time jump we should expect for ‘Hannibal’ season 3, as TVLine previews that the latter half of the coming run may skip ahead chronologically to introduce yet another important character from the ‘Red Dragon’ novel. Just the other day, ‘Hannibal’ also announced that ‘The Hobbit’ star Richard Armitage would take the role of Francis Dolarhyde / “The Tooth Fairy,” as portrayed in Brett Ratner’s 2002 adaptation by Ralph Fiennes.

Elsewhere, we know of ‘Hannibal’ season 3 that Gillian Anderson has been upgraded to series regular as Dr. Bedelia du Maurier, last cryptically seen flying alongside Hannibal in the post-credits tag of season 2 finale bloodbath “Mizumono.” Joe Anderson will take over from Michael Pitt as Mason Verger, while Raul Esparza will return to the role of Dr. Frederick Chilton, and Fuller suggested Eddie Izzard could return to the role of the late Dr. Abel Gideon as well.

The new season will pick up sometime later with Hannibal and Bedelia’s new life on the lam, also incorporating such literary Thomas Harris figures as Mason Verger’s living assistant Cordell, and ‘Hannibal’ novel character Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi. Additionally, ‘Batman vs. Superman’ and ‘The Wolverine’ star Tao Okamoto has been confirmed to play the role of Hannibal’s “aunt” Lady Murasaki (or her attendant “Chiyo,” it’s a bit confusing).

Certainly sad news, but what say you? Will the anticipation of ‘Hannibal’ season 3 tide our appetites until summer? What do you hope to see when the good Dr. Lecter returns?