Taglines: Never forget who he is.
The continuing saga of Hannibal Lecter, the murdering cannibal. He is presently in Italy and works as a curator at a museum. Clarice Starling, the FBI agent whom he aided to apprehend a serial killer, was placed in charge of an operation but when one of her men botches it, she’s called to the mat by the Bureau.
One high ranking official, Paul Krendler has it in for her. But she gets a reprieve because Mason Verger, one of Lecter’s victims who is looking to get back at Lecter for what Lecter did to him, wants to use Starling to lure him out. When Lecter sends her a note she learns that he’s in Italy so she asks the police to keep an eye out for him. But a corrupt policeman who wants to get the reward that Verger placed on him, tells Verger where he is. But they fail to get him. Later Verger decides to frame Starling which makes Lecter return to the States. And the race to get Lecter begins.
Hannibal is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. It is the sequel to the 1991 Academy Award–winning film The Silence of the Lambs in which Anthony Hopkins returns to his role as the iconic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. Julianne Moore co-stars, in the role first held by Jodie Foster, as FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling.
The film had a difficult and occasionally troubling pre-production history. When the novel was published in 1999, The Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme, screenwriter Ted Tally, and actress Jodie Foster all declined to be involved in its adaptation. Ridley Scott became attached as director after the success of Gladiator (2000), and eventually signed onto the project after reading the script pitched by Dino De Laurentiis, who produced Manhunter (1986), based on the 1981 Harris novel Red Dragon. After the departure of Foster and screenwriter Tally, Julianne Moore took on Foster’s role while David Mamet and Steven Zaillian wrote the screenplay.
Set ten years after The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal follows Starling’s attempts to apprehend Lecter before his surviving victim, Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), captures him. It is set in Italy and the United States. The novel Hannibal drew attention for its violence. Hannibal broke box office records in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom in February 2001, but was met with a mixed critical reception.
Hannibal grossed $58 million (U.S.) in its opening weekend (from 3,230 screens). At the time (February 2001), this was the third-biggest debut ever—only 1997’sThe Lost World: Jurassic Park and 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace grossed more in an opening weekend. As of October 2012, it ranks 90th all time. It was also, when it was released, the biggest-opening box office for an R-rated film ever. Final domestic box office gross (U.S.) reached $165,092,268, with a worldwide gross of $351,692,268.
The film spent three weeks at number one in the U.S. box office chart, and four weeks at number one in the UK[46] Hannibal was the tenth highest-grossing film of the year worldwide, in a year which also saw the blockbuster releases of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Hannibal also made over $87,000,000 in U.S. video rentals following release in August 2001.
Hannibal (2001)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta, Frankie Faison, Giancarlo Giannini, Francesca Neri, Hazelle Goodman, Zeljko Ivanek, Judie Aronson
Screenplay by: David Mamet, Steven Zaillian
Production Design by: Diego Loreggian, Norris Spencer
Cinematography by: John Mathieson
Film Editing by: Pietro Scalia
Costume Design by: Janty Yates
Set Decoration by: Crispian Sallis
Art Direction by: David Crank
Music by: Hans Zimmer
MPAA Rating: R for strong gruesome violence, some nudity and language.
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (North America), Universal Pictures (International)
Release Date: February 9, 2001
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