The return of Hannibal Lecter

Not so fast. MGM also has a claim to Hannibal. When De Laurentiis passed on Silence, the now defunct studio Orion made the movie. When Orion folded, the studio's library, including Silence, was sold to MGM. Now MGM thinks it's in the hunt for Hannibal too. "We believe that we have rights that were created in Silence of the Lambs that give us certain rights to a sequel," says an MGM spokeswoman. "MGM is excited about the prospect of making a sequel."

Then there's Universal. According to former chairman Tom Pollock, just after Silence came out, Universal struck a deal with De Laurentiis to share 'first negotiation/last refusal' rights to Hannibal with him. Universal execs decline to comment, but it may be in the best position to make Hannibal; the studio has production deals with both De Laurentiis and Demme. Still, it could be years before we see Hannibal at the local multiplex. One possibility that would save a lot of time and lawyers' fees would be an MGM/Universal coproduction.

Regardless of who gets Hannibal, the bidding will be steep. In fact, some predict that the price tag on Hannibal's film rights, which will be brokered by CAA, may even break the $8 million record shared by Michael Crichton's Airframe and John Grisham's The Runaway Jury — especially, says one observer, "if they can pull together all the people to reprise their roles." Which brings us to the big question — will Demme, Foster, and Hopkins utter the magic words "I'm in"?

While reps for all three say it's too early to comment on Hannibal: The Movie, they haven't been shy about their enthusiasm in the past. After winning his Oscar, Demme said backstage, "I want to make a sequel to Silence of the Lambs so bad." Last November Foster told Entertainment Weekly: "We haven't seen anything, but all of us — Anthony Hopkins, myself, and Jonathan Demme — we talk about it every time we see each other, that we'd love to do it. If it happened, we'd all be there." Hopkins, on the other hand, seems as cagey as, well, you know who. While his publicist says, "The idea of doing a sequel is something that appeals to him tremendously," the actor has wavered in the past about reprising his role. At one point, it was reported that Hopkins was so disturbed that children were viewing Hannibal as a hero that he said he'd never play the part again.

Assuming the trio does sign on, Hannibal may be one rich meal. In addition to the $8 million that the rights may cost, Foster's current asking price is $15 million and could go higher considering the vehicle. The same $15-20 million figure could apply for Hopkins. And Demme could command between $5 and $10 million. That doesn't even figure in the fees for a screenwriter, the producers, and a supporting cast. Before a foot of film is even shot, Hannibal could weigh in at $100 million. That's quite a leap from the $22 million budget of Silence. But after a decade of waiting, what's the rush? The only thing for certain is now that he's had time to digest his dinner with an old friend, Hannibal Lecter must be laughing like a lunatic, wherever he is.

(Additional reporting by Kristen Baldwin, Daniel Fierman, and Matthew Flamm)