Anthony Hopkins "Wasn't Sure" This Sequel Would Be a Hit – It Made $351M on an $87M Budget

Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, became an iconic character and a true cultural phenomenon – this role earned Hopkins an Oscar and worldwide fame.

However, when the sequel, Hannibal, was about to be released, Hopkins himself seemed unimpressed by the general enthusiasm.

Anthony Hopkins Doubted Ridley Scott's 'Hannibal' Would Be a Successful Project

Shortly before the premiere, Hopkins admitted in an interview that he had doubts about Hannibal's success and that the fact it was a sequel was the reason for his skepticism:

“I expected Silence of the Lambs to be a big hit, but I wasn't sure about Hannibal because it's a sequel.”

His fears were completely unfounded – the movie grossed $351 million worldwide against a budget of only $87 million and became one of the highest-grossing thrillers of its time.

By the time the sequel was released, Hopkins was already a knight, a recipient of prestigious theater awards, and a living legend. Therefore, worrying about box office receipts might have seemed odd for someone like him.

However, Hopkins, who always viewed filmmaking as more of a business opportunity than a calling, was candid about his doubts. He admitted that he didn't understand the complexities of numbers and didn't know what producers meant when they discussed box office forecasts.

Nevertheless, Hopkins accepted the role, knowing that the team assembled for the project guaranteed its success.

What Is 'Hannibal' About?

Ten years have passed since the events of The Silence of the Lambs. Having escaped from prison, Dr. Hannibal Lecter now leads a quiet, almost aristocratic life in Florence – he works as a museum curator and enjoys fine wines and art.

However, his past catches up with him in the form of Mason Verger, a wealthy man and the only victim to survive an encounter with Lecter. He is obsessed with one idea: capturing Lecter and feeding him to a pack of wild boars.

Verger offers his help in capturing Lecter to Clarice Starling, who has never recovered from her past experiences. Clarice agrees, unaware that her former enemy has been watching her for a long time.

'Hannibal' Remained Underrated Due to the Fame of Its Predecessor

Ridley Scott's Hannibal is noticeably different from its predecessor. While The Silence of the Lambs was an intimate psychological thriller with an atmosphere of mounting suspense, the sequel evolved into a near-gothic spectacle with elements of horror and outright violence.

Scott wasn't afraid to show scenes that made audiences turn away: there's a brain-eating scene at the dinner table and a sophisticated murder involving live boars. The movie's reliance on shock value was the main complaint of critics.

However, it should be noted that Hannibal is more than just a collection of sadistic scenes – Scott created a visually sumptuous film, contrasting the beauty of Italian landscapes and architecture with the ugliness of human nature.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Hannibal'?

• Hannibal has 39% from critics and 62% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.8/10.

• On Letterboxd, Hannibal scored 3.3/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Hannibal'?

Hannibal is available to stream on Hulu and MGM+.