Caffeinated Clint
de Laurentiis already eyeing “Hannibal Rising” sequel
I haven’t seen the latest one yet (“Hannibal Rising”) – and probably won’t until next week – but I gotta say, I think this Hannibal train is running out of gas.
I understand that if there’s milk to be milked, you pull hard on those teats, but we’re a long way from “Silence of the Lambs” – arguably the best in the Hannibal series – aren’t we? I mean, I’m still reeling with disappointment over that abysmal sequel, “Hannibal” – not only was it as boring as yabby-finishing in a dried-out creek… but recasting Clarice Starling was wrong. It’d be like getting Christopher Walken to take over Han Solo in “Empire Strikes Back”. Just wouldn’t work. “Hannibal” didn’t. Thankfully, “Red Dragon” was better.
And just when you thought this prequel thing, “Hannibal Rising”, could be the end of the cannibal…. Dino de Laurentiis comes out and announces that he’s keen for more. Sheesh.
De Laurentiis tells MTV that Hannibal could become an even bigger evil superstar with more series installments. “How many James Bond [movies are] there? … Every two years a James Bond movie [seemingly] comes out,” de Laurentiis reasoned, adding that any future Lecter story would likely center on the unusual relationship between Lecter and his “Rising” love interest, Gong Li. “You see in the movie that … it’s an attraction, but nothing serious happens,” de Laurentiis said. “In the future, maybe something happens, if we go with [another sequel].
“I presume that we created a success with this new franchise about young Hannibal Lecter, and I want to start to think about going ahead with the story”.
I think the tip-off that everything has gone downhill with this series is the fact that Anthony Hopkins is no longer involved. I mean; the dude isn’t that picky… so when he backed out on narrating “Hannibal Rising”, you just knew something wasn’t right.
Won’t speak too soon though – they’ll no doubt be remaking “Silence of the Lambs” in a couple of years… with Nicolas Cage as Hannibal, and Hilary Duff as Clarice Starling.
