Anthony Hopkins Had His Own Script For Hannibal Sequel That Never Saw The Light
The unmade Hannibal sequel would feature an unexpected death.
Hannibal Lecter, the enigmatic creation of acclaimed novelist Thomas Harris, emerged onto the silver screen for the very first time in the 1986 cinematic adaptation titled Manhunter.
Portrayed by the actor Brian Cox, Lecter's presence captivated audiences with its chilling allure.
Nevertheless, it was the groundbreaking film The Silence of the Lambs in 1991 that catapulted Hannibal Lecter into pop culture.
Under the expert guidance of director Jonathan Demme, this cinematic masterpiece breathed life into Harris' eponymous novel, casting the incomparable Anthony Hopkins as the iconic Hannibal Lecter.
Hopkins delivered an unforgettable performance, which earned him critical acclaim and an Oscar for Best Actor, despite having limited screen time.
He reprised the role of Hannibal Lecter in two more films. In 2001, he starred in Hannibal, which was a sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, and in 2002, he appeared in Red Dragon, a prequel to the previous films.
Interestingly, we could have seen a sequel to 2011's Hannibal, written by Anthony Hopkins himself.
In an interview with USA Today following the release of Red Dragon in 2002, the experienced actor mentioned that he had actually written a screenplay for a potential sequel to Hannibal.
Specific details about the storyline are limited, but Hopkins disclosed that the events took place in San Francisco and centered around Clarice, who was experiencing a nervous breakdown.
She battled with nightmares and hallucinations of seeing Hannibal lurking on street corners.
However, one night she woke up to find herself handcuffed to her bed while the cannibal leisurely smoked a cigar in the corner, greeting her with the infamous phrase, "Hello, Clarice..."
Anthony Hopkins shared the script with his agent and the studio, presenting it as a mere "exercise," wherein the final scene depicted him being shot by Clarice.
However, it appears that no significant advancements were made on Hopkins' Hannibal script, as the subsequent film, Hannibal Rising, was poorly received by critics.
Neither of the follow-up films matched the exceptional quality of Silence of the Lambs, and without Jodie Foster's participation, this concluding installment likely would have been underwhelming as well.