Richard Armitage Is HANNIBAL’s Francis Dolarhyde

The Hobbit's Richard Armitage is joining Hannibal Season 3 as the long-awaited Francis Dolarhyde, the deeply unsettling, William Blake-obsessed serial killer nicknamed The Tooth Fairy in Thomas Harris' Red Dragon.

Dolarhyde has been memorably portrayed by Tom Noonan in Michael Mann's Manhunter and by Ralph Fiennes in Brett Ratner's otherwise unsuccessful 2002 film Red Dragon, and while I'm not particularly excited about Armitage taking on the Hannibal role I've been most anxious to see second only to Clarice Starling, I trust Bryan Fuller entirely. He is a wise and wonderful man and it is not my lot to question him.

According to TVLine, Armitage is set to work for six episodes, which seems like it might be giving short shrift to ol' Toothy, and anyway didn't Fuller once tell us that Red Dragon would make up the events of Season Four? 

At any rate: Francis Dolarhyde is on the way, and that is cool. Hannibal returns midseason, and not a moment too soon. If you're having trouble picturing Thorin Oakenshield becoming The Great Red Dragon, I have created a composite image to assist you. Looks totally normal, right?