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How Anthony Hopkins will play a young Hannibal | 123414__reddragon_l
MONSTER'S BALL In ''Red Dragon'' a serial killer names himself after a watercolor by William Blake

For all the talk of fidelity to the text, ''Red Dragon'' will open with some brand-new scenes. For the first time, we'll see the capture of Hannibal Lecter -- a sequence that's shown only in flashback in the book. According to co-producer Martha De Laurentiis, Harris himself came up with the idea to start the new movie by showing Lecter as a free man before anyone knew he was a serial killer. In a scene hinted at in ''Silence of the Lambs,'' Lecter will serve a (gulp) gourmet dinner to a group of guests unfamiliar with his culinary predilections.

The filmmakers are confident that Hopkins (who won an Oscar for his first portrayal of Lecter) will be convincing as a younger Hannibal. Despite rumors to the contrary, they say there are no plans to use computer-generated imagery to alter his appearance. ''I think audiences are pretty forgiving,'' Ratner says. ''Maybe at first glance you're like, 'oh no, he doesn't look younger.' But then hopefully you're immersed in the drama of the film.''

Plus, in the absence of Lecter's perversely affectionate relationship with Clarice Starling (the character is, of course, absent from ''Red Dragon'') Hopkins will get to portray a different side of the cannibal. Says Ratner: ''Hannibal Lecter in this movie is much more still, much more tense, much more angry.... He is Manson. He's a crazy f---.''

Some familiar elements from the Jonathan Demme-directed ''Silence'' and its Ridley Scott-helmed sequel ''Hannibal'' will help maintain continuity. Anthony Heald -- who in ''Silence'' played the slimy Dr. Frederick Chilton, the head of the asylum Lecter calls home -- will return in the same role for ''Red Dragon.'' And the asylum itself, including Lecter's glass-plated cell, will be an exact recreation of the set used for ''Silence,'' as created by returning production designer Kristi Zea.

Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes will get a chance to create a new monster as Francis Dolarhyde -- a man whose beyond-Dickensian childhood leads him to become a serial killer preying on whole families. Like Hopkins, Fiennes is really getting into his part. ''He is totally immersed,'' says Ratner. ''He comes to the set, and he's in character. And he wears his false teeth and [fake] cleft palate when he's off-camera.'' Sounds like he's waiting for Dr. Lecter to invite him to dinner.


Posted Mar 07, 2002 | Order Article Reprints
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