Its all Michael Manns fault.
Eventually, De Laurentiis landed on the perfect filmmaker to adapt the novel: directorMichael Mann.
For the part of Lecter, renamed Lecktor for some reason, Mann castBrian Cox.
Cox has none of the elegance and allure that later actors would bring to Hannibal.
Manhuntermay differ from later Harris adaptations, but it has an appeal all its own.
And yet,Manhunterflopped.
No one was more disappointed than De Laurentiis.
Manhunterwas notRed Dragon, De Laurentiis toldThe Guardianin 2001.
So when studio Orion Pictures came calling, De Laurentiis relinquished the rights for free.
Okay, its not quite that simple.
Before Orion got involved, actor Gene Hackman made a play.
Hackman had lovedThe Silence of the Lambsnovel and spoke to Harris about bringing the project to the big screen.
However, after 1988sMississippi Burning, Hackman decided against doing another dark and disturbing picture.
In the meantime, Orion Pictures took an interest in the project, and chose Jonathan Demme to direct.
The duo had Harris blessing but still faced a problem: De Laurentiis.
Well, thats not entirely accurate, either.
The better word is lent the rights to Orion.
The Ongoing Silence
The tangled rights toThe Silence of the Lambshave made things messy post-Manhunter.
In one of the most serious downgrades of all time, De Laurentiis pickedBrett Ratnerto direct this second adaptation.
Despite a strong cast, which includedEdward Nortonas Graham andRalph Fiennesas Dolarhyde,Red Dragondisappointed in every regard.
And yet, theres one story that never makes its way intoHannibalthe series:The Silence of the Lambs.
