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The first of the Hannibal Lecter movies was Manhunter in 1986. Though the film included the âHannibal the Cannibalâ character, he was not played by the man who made this role famous, Anthony Hopkins. In 1991, director Jonathan Demme and Hopkins really brought Hannibal to life in beloved film, The Silence of the Lambs, which also famously featured Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling.
The Silence of the Lambs is the Hannibal film that has the most Oscars, but which do you think is the best? There is also the sequel, Hannibal, which also features Hopkins as the titular character, though this time Starling is played by Julianne Moore. In 2002, Red Dragon, the same book that inspired the film Manhunter, was revisited, this time with Hopkins as Hannibal, and Ed Norton as Agent Will Graham. Hannibal Rising is a bloody prequel, focused on the titular character in his youth.
If TV shows are more your jam, thereâs Bryan Fullerâs Hannibal, which has developed a cult following. This iteration of the Thomas Harris story features memorable performances by Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as Will Graham. CBS series Clarice ignores the sequels, and picks up after the events of The Silence of the Lambs.
Which adaptation is your favorite? Read about the films and TV shows below, and be sure to vote up the ones you like most.
Bryan Fuller's Hannibal series, starring Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter, and Hugh Dancy as Will Graham, has amassed quite the cult following. Critics and audiences alike love this series, which is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 82 percent, with audiences ranking it at 94 percent fresh.
Based on the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, Manhunter features Hannibal Lecter - here it is spelled âLecktorâ - but in this 1986 iteration, he is played by Brian Cox. It's a solid film in its own right, with intense performances by Cox and William L. Petersen, but is not as talked about, since it does not feature Anthony Hopkins.
The Silence of the Lambs, based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name, first introduced audiences to Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, the cannibal doctor. He won an Oscar for this performance, and would go on to play the character in the sequel, Hannibal, and prequel, Red Dragon. The Silence of the Lambs also took home the trophies for best picture, best actress for Jodie Foster, best director for Jonathan Demme, and best screenwriting based on material previously published for Ted Tally.
Red Dragon, based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name, is an update of Manhunter. This iteration is generally more popular, as it features Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, one of his most famous roles. He took home the Oscar for best actor playing him in The Silence of the Lambs. Ed Norton plays this film's agent Graham.
Hannibal takes place 10 years after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, with the infamous doctor still a fugitive. After FBI Agent Clarice Starling (now played by Julianne Moore) gets blamed for a botched drug raid, she receives a letter from Hannibal, which sets her off on a hunt to find the criminal mastermind. Hannibal is as gory as ever, and even features a scene wherein Lecter feeds a person their own brain.
The events of the short-lived CBS series, Clarice, take place immediately following those of The Silence of the Lambs. Starling has been placed on administrative leave, and is the pariah of the FBI following Hannibal Lector's escape. Despite her trauma from the Buffalo Bill case, Starling ends up working on a new VICAP task force, dedicated to hunting murderers, serial killers, and sexual predators.
Category: TV Program
Actors: Rebecca Breeds, Michael Cudlitz, Lucca De Oliveira, Kal Penn, Nick Sandow
