Bryan Fuller and Mads Mikkelsen are reuniting, but this time, they aren't bringing the titular Hannibal Lecter to screens. The duo, who previously worked together on NBC's Hannibal, will work together again for the upcoming feature Dust Bunny. Fuller will write, produce, and make his feature directorial debut, with Mikkelsen in a leading role. Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce with companies Thunder Road and Entertainment One.
Dust Bunny will follow an eight-year-old girl who believes that a monster lurking under her bed ate her family. So, she turns to her "intriguing neighbor" for help to kill the monster. Though no other plot details are available, the brief description already teases a movie right up both Fuller and Mikkelsen's wheelhouse. Beyond Hannibal, Fuller's love of horror is well-known (as seen in his social media posts), and he has worked on other genre projects, including the recently released Queer for Fear. Meanwhile, Mikkelsen often takes on roles of more brutal characters, so a monster-killing neighbor will fit right in with his prior work.
Fuller and Mikkelsen first worked together in the three-season NBC series Hannibal, which was created and executive produced by Fuller. It focused on the early relationship between criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mikkelsen) as they aided the FBI in tracking down serial killers -- including, unbenknownst to them for a while, Hannibal himself. The series was adapted from the Thomas Harris novels and drew story inspiration from the books as well as brought new takes to the table. Despite it being unfortunately short-lived, its dedicated fanbase (Fannibals) has pushed for a fourth season since the show's initial cancellation in 2015. The series has also been lauded by critics and audiences alike for its stunning (and often brutal) visuals, its storytelling, acting, and more.
Alongside Hannibal, Fuller is well-known for creating the beloved Lee Pace-led series Pushing Daisies. It followed a pie maker who used his ability to bring dead people and things back to life to solve murders. He also created Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and has worked on additional series including American Gods and Star Trek: Discovery. It was recently announced that Fuller will helm a Friday the 13th prequel series titled Crystal Lake.
When he's not making gorgeous but questionable feasts as Hannibal, Mikkelsen has starred in a number of features across Danish and English-language movies. He has starred in the Oscar-winning Danish film Another Round, took on James Bond in Casino Royale, and has appeared in additional franchises, including the MCU and the Star Wars universe. He will next star in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 and reunite with A Royal Affair director Nikolaj Arcel for The Bastard.
Lee expressed her excitement to work with Fuller, stating, "We have been huge fans of Bryan’s for years. Dust Bunny is incredibly inventive and unlike anything in the marketplace and we are thrilled to help bring his first feature to life." Kristen Figeroid, Sierra/Affinity’s Managing Director and Executive Vice President, expressed similar sentiments for Mikkelsen's casting, saying, "Mads brings such a unique quality to every character he brings to life and his role in Dust Bunny will be no exception. We’re excited to bring a throwback to the family horror films of the '80s, a beloved genre for many, to this year’s market at AFM."
Dust Bunny currently doesn't have a release date, but production is set to begin in January 2023. In the meantime, check out Mikkelsen and Fuller's work on Hannibal, streaming now on Hulu.