Hugh Dancy has signed on to star in the NBC pilot Hannibal, portraying FBI agent Will Graham. We first reported on this project back in November, when NBC handed out a 13-episode order for the series, even though a pilot had not been shot.

Bryan Fuller wrote the pilot script, which is a contemporary take on the Thomas Harris novel series that spawned the films Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Red Dragon. The pilot takes us all the way back to the beginning of Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter's relationship.

It isn't known when shooting may begin on Hannibal, since Hugh Dancy is the first cast member to come on board. Bryan Fuller will executive produce the series alongside Martha De Laurentiis. The character Will Graham was previously played by Edward Norton in Red Dragon.

Bryan Fuller is also behind the Mockingbird Lane pilot at NBC, which is a remake of The Munsters.