When it comes to projects about serial killers, there is enough content out there to last a lifetime, both fiction and non-fiction. None, however, has had as significant an impact as Jodie Foster’s The Silence of the Lambs.
Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter is one of the most psychologically intriguing characters to grace a screen, sparking a sort of obsession in their viewer that constantly has them begging for more while giving nothing in return. The character has left enough of a fascination to come back for multiple sequels and spin-off shows, with many wearing the face of this terrifyingly beautiful character.
It is only natural for someone like this to inspire more than just work in his universe. The crime film genre has been deeply impacted by his presence, completely changing the way that one sees a killer. It would seem that one of the most iconic crime series of all time, True Detective, which is returning for a fourth season, was also inspired by this masterpiece. Ironically enough, Jodie Foster also stars in the show, and as revealed by director Issa Lopéz, the reason for this was much closer to her time with Lecter than her newer works.
Issa Lopéz Credits The Silence of the Lambs for Changing How Serial Killers Are Shown
The Silence of the Lambs portrays the story of Clarice Starling, who is trying to find a serial killer who is targeting female victims and has a very distinct and unique way of killing them. For this, the FBI trainee uses the help of the highly dangerous and psychopathic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, who also happens to be a former psychiatrist. This film has received a level of critical acclaim that none in the same genre has managed to achieve, making it difficult for the audience to look away.
It earned five Academy Awards, with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster winning Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. It was expected that a film that accomplished as much as this did would leave an impact on the film industry. Issa Lopéz, the writer and director of the fourth season of True Detective, recently gave an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, where she talked about what her inspiration was for this upcoming part. She mentioned that she thought of all of the possible works that could have inspired the first season of this classic show, ranging from The Thing to Brad Pitt’s Se7en.
“I went back and watched the first season, and I saw that the massive influence is it felt really like Se7en. It made me feel like Se7en. So I rewatched Se7en, which holds amazing. Se7en itself is a season of True Detective. Se7en itself would have never been born without ‘The Silence of the Lambs’. So I go and I watch that, and honestly, that’s the origin of all these subgenres of creepy serial killers with demented minds.“
The conclusion that she came to was that all of these roads led back to one work that had perhaps the most significant impact on this genre. The Silence of the Lambs. She stated that she believes that some of the most iconic works of crime and thrillers that feature interesting killers would not have been born had it not been for Foster’s 1991 film.
Issa Lopéz Cast Jodie Foster Because of The Silence of the Lambs
Issa Lopéz then went on to mention that when she thought of The Silence of the Lambs, she could not help but think of how good Jodie Foster was in this film. This is no surprise, as many have referred to this film as the actress’s magnum opus. The director, however, talked about how it was extremely unfortunate that she was not starring in as many well-known projects anymore. She also mentioned that Foster has not been seen in a series format yet, and Lopéz desperately wanted to make it happen.
“I thought, Let’s have Jodie Foster. You know? She’s how this all started, and she was magnificent in that, as she has been in many things. But we don’t see her as often as we want, and we’ve never seen her for several episodes of a whole series, you know? So what a luxury. So when I wrote this with her in mind and when she said yes, I simply couldn’t believe it. It was a dream come true.”
It was here that she started to write the character of Liz Danvers around the actress for this season of True Detective. Fortunately, when the role was offered to Foster, she agreed to star in the show. Lopéz mentioned that when she heard this, she found it hard to believe considering just how much time she had spent obsessing over it.
The Silence of the Lambs is available to watch on Hulu and True Detective can be viewed on Max.
