Studio76 Pitches 'Hannibal Inside' to Global Buyers at Taipei Market

A sashimi chef in Keelung, Taiwan, has lost his memory but retained his skills. He now works a knife at a fishing port, knowing only his girlfriend Xi-xi from his past life. This state of amnesia ends when he saves a stranger on the street. Video of the rescue spreads online, catching the eye of people who once knew him by a different title. He was Owen, the lead surgeon for Undercurrent, a syndicate that sells human organs to wealthy buyers worldwide.

The narrative drives the pre-development status of 'Hannibal Inside,' a crime thriller series from Studio76. The project is currently presented at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei. The series is adapted from 'The Monster Community,' a novel the producers acquired from Kadokawa Taiwan. Full episode outlines are finished, and the writing team is currently drafting scripts. The story explores the conflict between a man seeking revenge and the systems that defined his worth as a life.

Owen’s return to public attention triggers a chain of events. An Undercurrent assassin named Jiang Xu is sent to force Owen’s memories back. Simultaneously, Detective Lin identifies Owen as the prime suspect in a series of murders where victims lost their organs. Lin is investigating the killings because his son requires a heart transplant. After Xi-xi is killed, Owen travels to Songkhla, Thailand, his hometown, to seek justice. There, he meets Captain Xu Zhi-rou, a local police officer whose father Owen once saved.

The plot leads Owen to a luxury cruise ship. Billionaires gather there to place bids on living people based on organ matches. This setting underscores the high-stakes nature of the black market. Producer Dennis Yang stated that the team wove real news reports of black-market organ trading into the book’s serial killer storyline. He described the industry as a high-risk underworld rarely explored with real emotional depth in Asian series.

Director Ray Jiang emphasized the project's focus on human nature. He noted that while crime and action series are common, few treat life with respect. Jiang asked who defines the value of a life and who decides who lives or dies. He argued that society often judges people by their goodness or contribution, implying criminals deserve to die. He countered that every life is valuable because of what a person achieves on their own journey, and no one has the right to judge someone else's worth.

Yang characterized the series as a blend of commercial entertainment and a thrilling pace. He said the show explores universal questions of justice and survival. He called it an ambitious crime thriller with strong potential for the global market. The selection for this year's TCCF is a milestone for Studio76. Two earlier projects, 'The Brides Town' and 'The Swamp Thing,' were chosen to pitch at Series Mania in Lille, France. 'Hannibal Inside' is the company's third such selection.

At the market, the team aims to connect with IP investors, streamers, and distributors in Europe. They also seek co-production partners in Asia. Yang said the team hopes to bring the story to a wider global audience through TCCF and its bridge to Series Mania. The goal is to maximize the project's international IP potential. The Taiwan Creative Content Fest runs Nov. 6 to 9 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.