ITALY: Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore promote the latest Hannibal Lector horror movie

Record ID: 706498

  • Title: ITALY: Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore promote the latest Hannibal Lector horror movie
  • Date: 4th May 2000
  • Summary: FLORENCE, ITALY (MAY4, 2000) (REUTERS) WIDE OF FLORENCE (2 SHOTS) CLOSE UP OF 'PONTE VECCHIO' (FAMOUS BRIDGE) CLOSE UP OF BRIDGE ARCHWAY CLOSE UP OF BALCONY AND STATUE WIDE OF RIVER AND BRIDGE L/S PALAZZO DELLA SIGNORIA CLOSE UP OF STATUE OF NEPTUNE WIDE PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA/ PAN UP TO CLOCK TOWER (2 SHOTS) SMV SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE INS
  • Embargoed: 19th May 2000 13:00
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  • Location: FLORENCE, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVAAJFYEMFKNLN7TX0WKT2L4K2OS
  • Story Text: Almost a decade after millions witnessed the on-screen escape from custody of Doctor Hannibal "The Cannibal' Lecter, the flesh-eating monster has reappeared in the Tuscan city of Florence.
    Sir Anthony Hopkins has reprised his role of Lecter from the multi award-winning film "Silence of the Lambs" to star in a sequel entitled, "Hannibal", based on the best-selling novel by Thomas Harris.
    In 1991, Sir Anthony Hopkins scooped an Academy Award for Best Actor when he brought terror to the cinema with his portrayal of Dr Hannibal Lecter, the man with a penchant for slices of human liver accompanied by a glass of fine Chianti.Starring opposite American actress Jodie Foster, who played FBI agent Clarice Starling in the film, Hopkins stunned audiences with his performance and established himself as a Hollywood favourite.
    Despite the success of the film, however, it has taken movie moguls nearly ten years to squeeze a sequel to the "Silence of the Lambs" from novelist Thomas Harris.
    "Hannibal", another bestseller, was the result and thanks to the skill of screenwriter Steve Zaillian, the book is to be brought to cinema screens.
    The man charged with the ominous task is British director Ridley Scott, whose recent credits include the epic movie, "Gladiator", "Thelma & Louise" and "Alien" to name a few.
    In "Hannibal", seven years have passed since Dr Lecter escaped from custody and he is now at large in Europe, pursuing interests of his own.Clarice Starling hasn't forgotten Lecter and his voice still haunts her but there's a third character, a victim of Lecter who goes in search of revenge and uses Starling as bait.
    Although "Hannibal" marks the return of Hopkins in the role of Lecter, Foster has decided not to take up the role of Agent Starling again and American actress Julianne Moore has stepped into her shoes, without reservation she says.
    The main cast of "Hannibal" have arrived in the Italian city of Florence for the beginning of production (May 5, 2000) and appeared at the Palazzo Vecchio to discuss the eagerly awaited film.
    Asked why Foster chose not to play Agent Starling again, Scott had a straight answer: "First of all, it's ten years and God knows Anthony knows Jodie better than I do and Jodie's an interesting woman and has now got a career as a director and a film that she'd been trying to get going for a long time suddenly came up.She got the finances and she got the character she wanted oddly enough - Russell Crowe - who's going to play in the movie and so she had to go this mid-year, that's one thing.I think the thing is it's an intuitive decision whether you go or you don't go with a particular thing once again and I think she decided not.She'd been there before, she didn't want to go back again.It's as simple as that, there's no subtext, it's quite simple," he said.
    Hopkins arrived at the conference almost in character, sporting a similar Panama hat and suit to the one he wore in the closing scenes of "Silence of the Lambs" and he admitted that he'd never had any reservations about taking on the role again.When questioned about how he manages to get into the role, he was more modest: "I don't know anything about acting, very little.I know how to do certain things, I know how to play certain roles.I see Lecter very clearly because that's the way I'm built I suppose, that's the way I perceive things, the dark side of life.It's not just the dark side of our lives,we all have, it's the most creative side of our lives, so in this case, Hannibal Lecter is a very creative genius," Hopkins said.
    Academy-Award nominee, Moore is to undergo training with a genuine FBI agent in the United States before starting filming in Richmond, Virginia and North Carolina while the rest of the cast film in Florence for the next five weeks.
    Other actors set to star in the film include Ray LiOtto and Gary Oldman as well as Italian actress Francesca Neri (Live Flesh) and Ivano Marescotti.
    "Hannibal's" budget has been estimated at $80 million, approximately $10 million of it going directly to the author of the book.The film is expected to premiere in the United States in February 2001.
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