Horror News and Commentary

The Education of Hannibal Lecter

I'm not a fan of sequels. Precious few are even remotely justifiable in terms that don't have a dollar sign in front of them. Of those that do have a smidgeon or two of creative merit, only a paltry handful manage to be an improvement over the originals they seek to expound upon.

"Hannibal" was no exception to this general rule of mine. However, "Red Dragon" was--and that wasn't just a sequel, it was a remake! Though not as good as "The Silence of the Lambs," it was an admirable adaptation of a powerful novel.

So where does this leave me in deciding whether or not I should get excited over Gorezone's announcement that a Hannibal Lecter prequel is on the horizon? I'm just not sure. "Young Hannibal" is apparently going to include narration by Anthony Hopkins, and it's based on Thomas Harris's forthcoming novel, "Behind the Mask," so some of the right elements are in place. But the same could have been said for "Hannibal," and look what happened with that.

No, if "Young Hannibal" has any promise of amounting to something, it lies in the absence of Julianne Moore. Let's hope that's enough.--Pete Mesling

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Posted by Pete on September 7, 2005 12:22 AM
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