'Hannibal' to return to NBC Feb. 28

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Season 2 of the Baltimore-set serial killer drama "Hannibal" is to premiere Feb. 28, NBC announced.

The 13-episode season will air after the previously-announced conclusion of the 10-episode run of "Dracula."

Created by Bryan Fuller, "Hannibal" stars Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lector, a brilliant psychiatrist working with the FBI and gifted criminal profiler Will Graham, played by Hugh Dancy, to look into the minds of serial killers.

Based on Thomas Harris' best-selling novels, the series is the prequel to the story that began with the books and feature films "Red Dragon" and "Silence of the Lambs."

"Bryan and his team are running on all creative cylinders once again and have delivered episodes full of intrigue, scares and surprises," Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement Thursday. "The show continues to astound us with its incredible aesthetic beauty and its amazingly talented cast."