It was announced last Monday, June 22, that NBC has officially cancelled the series "Hannibal," as cited by a report from TVLine. The network will continue to air the rest of "Hannibal" season 3 until the show ends this August.
NBC followed with an official statement, saying, "We have been tremendously proud of Hannibal over its three seasons. Bryan and his team of writers and producers, as well as our incredible actors, have brought a visual palette of storytelling that has been second to none in all of television — broadcast or cable. We thank Gaumont and everyone involved in the show for their tireless efforts that have made Hannibal an incredible experience for audiences around the world."
According to a report from IGN, NBC's decision was based on the show's poor viewership ratings. Despite critical acclaim from critics and fans, the series has struggled with its ratings and season 3 has seen its lowest dip yet.
The report states that season 3 saw a measly 1.6 million viewer average, the lowest point in the series' run. As pointed out in a report from Cinema Blend, these ratings would have caused any other network to cancel the show a long time ago but NBC stuck through for 3 seasons.
Hope is not all lost, however, as series creator Bryan Fuller and production company DeLaurentiis Co. still have the option to continue the show elsewhere. Many series have seen a revival on Netflix but according to IGN, it is most likely that Amazon will pick the series up. This is because Amazon retains streaming rights for the series. Even if NBC lets go of the show, the series can still continue being streamed on Amazon.
A new report from from Cinema Blend hints that this is the exact option the studios are looking into. The report also confirmed that Fuller already has plans for season 4.
"Second, we are exploring other options for future seasons. #Hannibal," posted the DeLaurentiis Co. via Twitter, confirming that there may yet be a future for the show.
Episode 4 of "Hannibal" season 3 will air on Thursday, June 25.
