Acclaimed Danish character actor Mads Mikkelsen has been signed to play the notorious cannibal Hannibal Lecter on a new NBC crime series. The character was the centerpiece of author Thomas Harris' bestseller The Silence of the Lambs, which was adapted into an Oscar-winning movie. Anthony Hopkins immortalized the character of Lecter in the original film and sequels, though Brian Cox played the part first in the 1986 film Manhunter. Curiously, the Lifetime TV network is simultaneously developing the show Clarice, based on the young female FBI agent portrayed by Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs. For more click here