8/1/00 - Hannibal castmember Sam Wells wrote to us about his role as a newscaster who explains the back-story about Clarice, Hannibal and the captured Catherine Martin. Here is his description of his day with Ridley:
"I was cast as a TV anchorman here in Richmond. It was great working with Ridley Scott. After a few pratice runs, we
shot the scene in one take. Ridley came out, shook my hand and said the scene was perfect. The scene was shot at WRIC, channel 8, here in Richmond. Except for the mid day news anchor at 8, who was upset that he didn't get cast in my role, everything was first class. All of the cast and crew were supportive and very professional. Now ,to keep it off of the cutting room floor is the big question or should I say concern."
Right on, Sam! We'll watch for you!
7/31/00 - A scooper wrote into Garth Franklin's Dark Horizons site with a report from the set of Hannibal.
"'Hannibal,' the sequel to "Silence of the Lambs", completes its filming in Richmond today and heads for greener pastures in Montpelier, VA and Asheville, NC. Two weeks ago, I was allowed back on the set in the Old State Library to view the mental hospital tier prop Anthony Hopkins' character was imprisoned in. (Many of y'all will recall that this hospital was located in Baltimore.) I was amazed at how realistic the brickwork and steel pipes looked even though they were made of plastic and fiberglass. Hannibal Lecter's jail cell was open and the place was made to look trashed. Beer bottles, liquor bottles, old newspapers, matches, and a chicken bone were scattered about and the "plexiglas" front was all smudged.
The mental health prison tier was located in one of the former reading rooms of the Old State Library. Outside of the prop were other background effects, such as part of a stairwell, and a Call Sheet for the day, which showed that Zeljko Ivanek will make an appearance in the movie as Dr. Cordell Doemling. The only thing I can say about Ivanek's character at this point is that he interacts with FBI Special Agent Krendler (played by Ray Liotta). Most everything else is hush-hush until the movie is ready for release."
7/27/00 - Coming Attraction's Hannibal page reports from scooper Kevin that "shooting seems to have moved to Berkeley Plantation, located about 25 miles east of Richmond, Virginia in Charles City County. I spotted the same trucks there that I spotted in Capitol Square near the General Assembly Building along with what could've been a catering tent. This was on Sunday, July 23 and it looked like everyone had the day off." Could this be Verger's compound?
Also, more pics have shown up at Richmond.com's Hannibal site, along with a mention of the new Anthony Hopkins/Stephen King/William Goldman/Scott Hicks flick, Hearts in Atlantis, which may end up shooting in Virginia as well.
Speaking of Stephen King, check out my King site for info about how to download his new/old serial, The Plant!
7/24/00 - Today's Dark Horizons has an interesting set report about a scene on an airplane involving Hannibal, a small Japanese boy and a funny/creepy line of dialog. Also, the awesome Coming Attractions learned that the filmmakers raided a real university biology lab for props ... including a human hand! Check it out at the above link.
7/20/00 - Alena's supercool Pound of Flesh site has lots of info about production and great links. Also, Inflix has landed some new pics from the Richmond set.
7/17/00 - The always reliable Coming Attractions debunks rumors of trouble in Florence and Virginia. Plus, another set report. Click the above link for the scoop!
From Dark Horizons: Hannibal: A casting flyer is now out in various New York City restaurants for
a 6-8 year old Japanese boy to play a role in the movie. Meanwhile, 'Surfwolf'
was going through a fanlist for one of her fave shows "Homicide: Life on the
Street" when someone chimed in with a report of their visit to the "Hannibal"
set to meet some of the 'Homicide' crew who are actually involved in the
movie. Here's the report from 'Medic' (minus the TV show-related stuff). A
quick thanks also to 'Jonathan':
"For the past 3 weeks, "Hannibal", the sequel to "Silence of the Lambs", has
been filming in Richmond. Two weeks ago I visited the set to deliver some
materials to a member of the production team and was allowed to remain and
witness an FBI shootout scene with Julianne Moore at a fish market
constructed in the Shockhoe Bottom area of downtown. Everyone on the set
of "Hannibal" had to clear out of the way for a car-crash/FBI cover
blown/automatic gunfire-shootout clip that had me ducking for cover (geez
those blanks are loud!).
Oh, and one more thing....does anyone other than me find it odd that the
building loaned to the "Hannibal" production team for a site headquarters is
also the same structure that houses the State Medical Examiner's Office? The
dead bodies are just one floor down. ...Makes you wonder if Anthony
Hopkins' character is going to have a buffet scene or something."
7/14/00 - Richmond.com has landed a ton of great pictures from the set of Hannibal (including the one shown at the top of this page) and also confirms that Frankie Faizon is going to reprise his role as the compassionate Baltimore hospital guard Barney. Check out their cool Hannibal site for details about a local newscaster who gets to play a reporter in Hannibal and a lucky greenskeeper who had a memorable encounter with Sir Anthony Hopkins! This site is cool times ten!
7/11/00 - The following mini-report was on Garth's great Dark Horizons: "A couple blocks over from my dads office in downtown Richmond, Monument Avenue area, they are filming Hannibal. It looks like they are filming it in someones house. The house looks like a separated townhouse and there are about 20 trucks surrounding it. I also caught a glimpse of Anthony Hopkins face through a window."
7/8/00 - APBNews reports that the San Diego Museum of Man this month debuts an infamous Italian exhibit - "Inquisition: Torture and Intolerance," which will be on display until November. If you've read the book Hannibal, this exhibit, which features every device of torture from iron maidens to electric chairs (in a notably anti death-penalty stance), is where Inspector Pazzi first notices Hannibal at its permanent home at the Medieval Criminal Museum near Florence, Italy, where Hannibal has been living in relative anonymity. Read the full APBNews piece here.
Also in the news, Empire Magazine printed a new picture of Anthony Hopkins on the Hannibal set. The great CHUD scanned it and have it on their Fetal Films Hannibal page.
7/6/00 - The folks at TNMC had a scooper write in with another set report from Shockoe Bottom - which I'm told is like the Melrose or Greenwich Village section of Virginia. The scooper actually stood nearby and watched them film a scene of the film. Read their report by clicking here.
6/30/00 - Greg Cannom, who did makeup effects on Bicentennial Man, The Insider, Idle Hands, Titanic, etc., is doing all the effects for Hannibal. The sketch of Mason Verger on CHUD's most excellent Fetal Films report is not from the production. I wanted to check it out, so I called the production office and got connected the film's publicist who said that the sketch wasn't theirs.
Today's Dark Horizons has a set report from someone who watched them film the first part of the shootout scene between the FBI and Evelda Drumgo at a place called Shockoe Bottom. Read it HERE.
6/13/00 - Propers to Coming Attractions and Dark Horizons for landing a bunch of interesting observations from Washington D.C.'s denizens about the Hannibal goings-on in our nation's Capital, including the radio station contest to be an extra in Hannibal. I have listed those reports here. There is also an addiional observation and more info about the Canal Club on Filmforce's Hannibal page
6/12/00 - There is an odd symmetry to Hannibal dining with President Clinton. If anybody can explain it, please e-mail me.:
From the Associated Press (by way of the Washington Post):
Clinton Dines With Anthony Hopkins
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON �� President Clinton played a relatively quick 18 holes of golf Sunday so he could get back to the White House in time for dinner there with actor Anthony Hopkins.
They were being joined by the first lady, fresh off the Senate campaign trail in New York City where she participated earlier Sunday in the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Wearing all-black in 90-degree-plus heat and chewing a cigar, Clinton played with Democratic fund-raiser Terry McAuliffe and his Georgetown University classmate Brian Greenspun, now publisher of the Las Vegas Sun.
Hopkins is in Washington filming "Hannibal," a sequel to the hit "Silence of the Lambs."
� Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
Meanwhile, a scooper tells cinescape.com: "Hannibal was filming in and around Washington, DC this
weekend. In particular, filming was taking place at Union
Station near where the T-Rex Sue replica is located.
Additional filming may have also been taking place on the
Mall itself."
Attention potential spies: This week, the word is that Hannibal is in Washington. Next week, Richmond. Look for those hand-written signs they post around town, follow them, and then send me a report, confidentiality guaranteed! Obviously, don't get yourself arrested! In the meantime, the Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting that President James Madison's historical home Montpelier will be one of the Hannibal locations. Read the piece here.
6/9/00 - Hannibal is in the top spot of the "mass market paperbacks" best seller list, according to AP. I know that's not really news but I thought it was cool enough to put on here anyway.
6/8/00 - Click here to read the Virginia Times Dispatch article about Shockoe Bottom, where they're filming the shootout scene.
6/6/00 - Rumblings have been cropping up about a few things. Filming is about to commence in Richmond, VA, where the casting agency was seeking extras. Les News reports that the scene they'll be filming will be Clarice's SWAT team face-off with drug dealer Evelda Drumgo, which is rumored to be occurring at Shockoe Bottom, close to the farmers market and Main St. Grill. "Babdool" wrote in to say that production was up all night in front of the Palazzo Vecchio with an elaborate rig coming out of a window there. Could this be the infamous fate of Pazzi?
Back to top.
5/31/00 - He played a hillbilly redneck gulf war soldier in Three Kings, now Ridley Scott has him playing a gun show redneck in Hannibal. The awesome movie director (Being John Malkovich, Sabotage video) Spike Jonze has been rumored to be in Hannibal, but today's Dark Horizons reports who he plays: 'Xenophobic Socialite' has a little bit more on that rumoured Spike Jonze
casting - BEWARE, potential spoilers ahead: "Before Spike starts production on "Benjamin Button"
for Paramount, he will film his role in "Hannibal" as a redneck hunter who Lecter meets at a gunshow
and then murders on a hunting trip."
5/29/00 - If you live in the Richmond, Virginia, area, you could be an extra in Hannibal! To anyone who hasn't been an extra (we at Extreme Hannibalism have had the pleasure, but only on a TV movie), that means you stand around for a while waiting for your scene, then you move around a little bit in the background while the camera rolls, plus they feed you lunch. But, there are great bonuses! One, you could watch the movie and maybe see yourself in the background passing by for a millisecond, and two, you might get to see the great Anthony Hopkins or Julianne Moore in action (and then write to us here and tell us what you saw!) This is the chance of a lifetime, people! Ridley Scott and co. will be filming in town for six weeks beginning in mid-June. Read the Richmond Times-Dispatch story for details.
Back to top.
5/28/00 - From Variety: ... Boyd Kestner (''G.I. Jane'') will reteam with helmer Ridley Scott for Universal's ``Silence of the
Lambs'' sequel ``Hannibal,'' as an FBI agent with a romantic link to Julianne Moore's Clarice Starling. Kestner just wrapped the indie ``Snakeskin'' with Melanie Lynskey (''Heavenly
Creatures'').
Actress Diane Baker has joined the cast of the film. Baker played Senator Ruth Martin ("Take this animal back to Baltimore!") in Silence of the Lambs and will reprise said role for the new film.
5/24/00 - From Cinescape online: Dr. Lecter's creator, Thomas Harris, has visited the set of the Hannibal movie currently shooting in Florence, Italy, but not for what you might think. According to Variety (click here for Variety story), contrary to recent rumors, Harris was not invited there to make changes to the film's script with word that Steve Zaillian's draft remains intact and in use.
As part of the visit, Harris also met Anthony Hopkins for the first time.
Beyond just participating in the production, word has it that Harris actually came to Florence to pick up a bronze statue of a wild boar for his garden back home. The author liked the original that sits in Florence's Mercato Nuovo downtown area so much that he ordered one up from a local artisan for himself. Perhaps that's what inspired Mason Verger's man-eating boars in the original book.
5/22/00 - An anonymous source wrote in with a report about Ridley Scott showing his great flick Gladiator to the crew: "I have a small job on the set of Hannibal and have one story for you. Many of this crew worked on Gladiator also and enjoyed a cast and crew screening (attended by Anthony Hopkins - who loved the movie) the Sunday before production started. Ridley and producer Branko Lustig arranged this screening for us. Gladiator just opened in Florence and many of went to see it for a second time over the weekend. It's that good!"
From the IMDB:
JULIANNE MOORE caused a stir when she spent several weeks learning how to track down and handcuff criminals at America's top FBI training camp for her role in upcoming movie. The Hannibal (2001) star underwent basic training, along with American's selected to be special agents with the FBI, learning how to track down criminals, run like an FBI agent, handcuff and handle a gun. The training was preparation for her part in Hannibal as AGENT CLARICE STARLING, co- staring ANTHONY HOPKINS. And, according to insiders at the 650 acre Quantico based camp, the stunning actress "brightened up the training", for hundreds of super-fit FBI agents. Spokesman for the FBI base KIRK CRAWFORD says, "To train Julianne we had to get special permission from our headquarters. It was quite an unusual request... The thing is we train all the FBI agents out here and so we really hate it when we see people playing FBI agents in the movies and getting it all wrong. It is misinformation so we are happy to have given her basic training... Julianne had pretty basic training. She learned how to handcuff and how an agent would act or think in a given situation."
5/16/00: From Eon Magazine's interview with Ridley Scott:
Scott's next film may be even more highly-anticipated than
GLADIATOR. The director returns to the present day for
HANNIBAL, the high-profile follow-up to the monster hit THE
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. But Scott faced some initial
hurdles from actress Jodie Foster, who eventually passed on
the opportunity to recreate her Oscar-winning role of Clarice
Starling for the sequel. The role has now been taken up by
Julianne Moore, but Scott isn't worried about Moore filling
Foster's cheap shoes. "Well, you're ten years later," Scott
says. "It's not so much what Jodie didn't bring to it; Jodie
fulfilled brilliantly, and it was echoed by the fact that she got
an Academy Award for it, a rookie, an innocent. She can no
longer be innocent ten years later, right? So Julianne is
starting off with really a fresh canvas."
Scott had no problems engineering the return of Anthony
Hopkins to his famed Hannibal Lecter role. "Anthony was
always keen to do it, and he actually was very amused by
the book," Scott says. "He thought the book was great, but
he was all [fired up] to do the script."
HANNIBAL's script was worked out between Scott,
HANNIBAL novelist Thomas Harris and SCHINDLER'S LIST
screenwriter Steven Zaillian. "The most enjoyable part,
actually, was when we invited Tom into L.A., sat with Steve
Zaillian and I for five days over it," Scott says. "There were
little bits in the third act that got tricky, and I wanted him to
be very much part of the process, because after all he spent
nine years writing the goddamn book. He at the end of it
thought, 'This is great.' He said, 'I like doing this shit, I'll do
the next book this way.'"
HANNIBAL features more elaborate monstrosities than the
Lecter/Starling/Buffalo Bill triangle in SILENCE OF THE
LAMBS, including wild boars and an additional villain named
Verger, whose face has been ripped off. Scott brushes off
concerns that the Verger character will be impossible to
depict on film. "You can do anything today; you can really
do anything today," he insists. "I'm shooting that in the
Vanderbilt house in South Carolina." He's more circumspect
about the film's killer pigs after working with GLADIATOR's
tigers. "Killer pigs are more dangerous than the tigers.
They're not killer pigs, they're wild boars. They're four
hundred and seventy pounds.
5/4/00: The filmmakers held a surprise press conference in Florence, attended by Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal Lecter), Julianne Moore (Clarice Starling), Ridley Scott (Director), the De Laurentiises (Producers), Steve Zaillian (Screenwriter), Francesca Neri (Mrs. Pazzi) and Giancarlo Giannini (Pazzi). Filmforce put out some awesome coverage of this first temblors befor all-out hannibalism wreaks havoc!!! back to top
5/3/00: The Hannibal teaser trailer will be up with this weekend's showings of Gladiator. The teaser trailer shows a black screen with ideas from the first film about what not to do when you're around Hannibal along with ever-tightening images of Hannibal in the Baltimore prison where we first encountered him in Silence of the Lambs. I am on a mission to get that teaser up on this site. In the meantime, they teased the teaser on Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday. back to top
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"Hannibal" Full Trailer: Lo-Res (6.7Mb, MOV)