Could Agent Scully take down a cannibal?
Ultimately, no. At least that’s what someone decided when “The X-Files” star Gillian Anderson’s name crossed their desk. It was one of many nays given on the tangled journey to “Hannibal,” the long — and we mean long-awaited sequel to “The Silence of the Lambs.” And when Julianne Moore became a “yes,” MGM and Universal breathed a 10-year sigh of relief.
“The Silence of the Lambs” swept the Academy Awards in 1992, becoming only the third film ever to sweep all five major categories (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay). As stars Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, director Jonathan Demme and screenwriter Ted Tally clutched their trophies, they expressed eagerness to collaborate again on a sequel, which author Thomas Harris was reportedly working on. Reportedly. Seven years passed. And when “Hannibal” the novel was finally published in 1999, critics were divided and folks began detaching themselves.
Here’s a look at all the names, with varying degrees of separation, surrounding “Hannibal” — and what happened when they came to dinner.
Previous credits: Two Oscars, one for “Silence” and one for “The Accused.” Fulfilled a lifelong goal this week by appearing and winning around $16,000 on “Celebrity Jeopardy!”
Degrees of separation: Foster’s will-she-or-won’t-she saga has been the center of it all. She reportedly didn’t find Harris’ novel to her liking, objecting to Starling’s gruesome turns in the story. But she, like Hopkins, waited until she saw Steven Zaillian’s screenplay. Foster then chose to officially drop out to direct the 1930s circus drama “Flora Plum” with Claire Danes and Russell Crowe, which has been delayed because of a shoulder injury Crowe sustained while training. Upon her announcement, producers found themselves in a situation messier than Dr. Lecter’s leftovers. (Producer Dino De Laurentiis reportedly responded by saying Foster wasn’t needed anyway, that he could play Clarice as long as the story and director were good, and that Foster didn’t have the right “sex appeal.”) The production almost folded. It then became absolutely imperative to land …
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Previous credits: Besides “Silence,” there were Oscar nods for “Remains of the Day,” “Nixon” and “Amistad” — all within the last 10 years.
Degrees of separation: Well, he is, after all, the man. Even though Brian Cox played Dr. Lecter in the well-received 1986 film “Manhunter,” (an adaptation of Harris’ first Hannibal novel, “Red Dragon”), no one would ever be able to say “pft pft pft pft” quite like the Welsh actor. Hopkins thought the book was “bizarre,” but, while deeply disappointed that Foster and Demme left, had a change of heart when director Ridley Scott was attached. And when the 63-year-old actor agreed to return, the movie was on wheels, with a new Clarice in the form of …
Julianne Moore
Previous credits: Oscar nominations for “The End of the Affair” and “Boogie Nights.” Has ongoing love affair with studios (“Lost World”) and the indie circuit (“Safe”) alike.
Degrees of separation: Moore never lobbied for the newly vacated role of FBI Agent Clarice Starling. She hadn’t read the script or the novel when her manager called to tell her she was in the running. So while locations were already being scouted, Moore met with Scott and was offered the part the next day, with a career-high $3 million paycheck (Hopkins receives $10 million-plus). So it was all good, except for the fact that she was already committed to …
Previous credits: Director of “The Sixth Sense”
Degrees of separation: Shyamalan had already cast Jullianne Moore as Bruce Willis’ wife in “Unbreakable,” and it was impossible for her to do both. Thus arose the “hairy situation,” as Moore told Entertainment Weekly. Eventually, shyamalan cast his original choice, Robin Wright Penn, and Moore was left free to play Clarice. If she hadn’t, the part would have gone to …
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Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie or Hilary Swank
Previous credits: Two Oscars and a nomination between them. Blanchett’s played authority (“Elizabeth”), Swank’s played vulnerable (“Boys Don’t Cry”) and Jolie’s kicking some butt (“Tomb Raider”), all elements of a good Clarice Starling.
Degrees of separation: They’re three most-mentioned names in connection with the role, but every name, from Gwyneth Paltrow to Helen Hunt to Ashley Judd, was thrown out. Swank was reportedly deemed too young, Jolie also fell out of contention, and Moore narrowly beat Blanchett because of a more flexible schedule, according to Entertainment Weekly. By Feb. 10, 2000, Moore was given the good news by …
Ridley Scott
Previous credits: “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Thelma & Louise” and “Gladiator,” to name a few
Degrees of separation: After he read the novel, Scott talked to Harris about the controversial ending, obtaining his blessing to make changes. He cast Moore. Then with screenwriter Steven Zaillian, Harris and Scott revised the conclusion, effectively cementing their place as the successors to …
Jonathan Demme & Ted Tally
Previous credits: Demme directed “Married to the Mob,” “Philadephia” and “Beloved”; Tally wrote “White Palace” and last year’s “All the Pretty Horses”
Degrees of separation: The Oscar-winning director of “Silence” also didn’t take too well to the violence in Harris’ novel. He had lunch with Harris, but ultimately decided he was “suffering from sequelitis,” according to EW. His departure was soon followed by Tally, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of the original, didn’t say why he passed, not wanting to hurt the feelings of Harris, whom he respected. (Meanwhile, Tally, according to Hopkins, is interested in scribing a third Lecter film.) The studios then turned to …
Previous credits: Writer of “The Untouchables,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Wag the Dog,” to name a few
Degrees of separation: The famous playwright took the first stab at adapting “Hannibal” in fall 1999. His draft reportedly retained much of the gruesome details and controversy Foster objected to, and while Mamet left after one draft to direct last year’s well-reviewed “State and Main,” he receives a writing credit. His version, in the meantime, was overhauled and rewritten from scratch by …
Previous credits: Won Oscar for writing “Schindler’s List,” also wrote/directed “Searching for Bobby Fischer” and “A Civil Action.”
Degrees of separation: Took Harris’ novel and Mamet’s draft and collaborated with the author and Scott to make changes, softening some of the grishliness and reportedly refocusing the story on Clarice and Hannibal’s relationship, hoping to change Foster’s mind. Zaillian’s next project is Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Liam Neeson, who once co-starred in “Nell” with … guess who?
