Hannibal (2001 film)

Hannibal is a 2001 American horror film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by David Mamet and Steven Zaillian, based on the 1999 novel by Thomas Harris. It is a sequel to The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Its plot follows disgraced FBI special agent Clarice Starling as she attempts to apprehend the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter before his surviving victim, Mason Verger, captures him. Anthony Hopkins reprises his role as Lecter, while Julianne Moore replaces Jodie Foster as Starling and Gary Oldman plays Verger. Ray Liotta, Frankie R. Faison, Giancarlo Giannini, and Francesca Neri also star.

Harris published Hannibal eleven years after the publication of The Silence of the Lambs (1988). Scott became attached while directing Gladiator (2000), and signed on after reading the script pitched by Dino De Laurentiis, who had produced Manhunter (1986), the first Lecter film. Principal photography commenced in May 2000, lasting sixteen weeks.

Hannibal was released on 9 February 2001 by MGM Distribution Co. in the United States and Canada. It was highly anticipated and broke box office records in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, and grossed $351.6 million against its $87 million budget, becoming the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2001, but received generally negative reviews; critics praised the performances and visuals, but deemed it inferior to The Silence of the Lambs and criticized its violence. It was followed by a prequel, Red Dragon (2002), with Hopkins reprising his role as Lecter.