Anthony Hopkins’ Underrated $209M Hannibal Lecter Sequel Getting New Streaming Home

While the franchise’s on-screen future remains unclear, an underrated Hannibal Lecter adaptation is getting a new streaming home. Based on Thomas Harris’ four novels centering on the cannibalistic serial killer, the on-screen journey of the character began in 1986’s Manhunter, written and directed by Michael Mann and starring Brian Cox as the iconic killer. Primarily based on the first novel, Red Dragon, the movie failed at the box office and initially garnered mixed reviews, but has gone on to be considered a cult classic.

Arguably, the adaptation that put the franchise on the map was the Anthony Hopkins-led The Silence of the Lambs, one of the few horror movies to get Oscars recognition, winning the big five awards while being nominated for an additional two. Hopkins would carry on the role of Lecter with the 2001 sequel Hannibal, which was a commercial hit in spite of its critical dismissal, and the 2002 prequel Red Dragon, with the final film adaptation being the 2007 prequel Hannibal Rising, which was a critical and commercial disappointment. The franchise would later find new life with the Hannibal TV show starring Mads Mikkelsen in the titular role.

Red Dragon Is Coming To Peacock In January

The Movie Is Jumping Streaming Homes

The 2002 thriller Red Dragon marked an interesting point in the Hannibal franchise’s lifecycle, with Ridley Scott’s 2001 sequel nearly turning away viewers and creatives with its focus on violence over suspense. Marking the second adaptation of the novel, the movie shifted its timeline back to the late ’80s, centering on FBI profiler Will Graham as he attempts to stop a serial killer known as the Tooth Fairy, turning to Hopkins’ Lecter for assistance. Also starring Edward Norton and Ralph Fiennes, Red Dragon was not as financially successful as its predecessor, but was far better received.

Now, a little over 22 years after the movie first hit theaters, Red Dragon is making its way to a new streaming home on Peacock (via CBR). The movie will be coming to the NBCUniversal platform on January 1, making a leap from its current placement on Netflix. This will continue the franchise’s separation on streaming, with only Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal sharing a platform on Tubi, while the rest exist elsewhere.

Why You Should Watch Red Dragon On Peacock

Hopkins’ Forever-Creepy Performance As Hannibal Combines With A Good Script

While it may not be the best of the franchise, nor of the various adaptations of Harris’ 1981 novel, there are actually a number of reasons why Red Dragon is still well-worth watching upon making the jump to Peacock. One of the biggest is that the 2002 prequel was a welcome return to form for the series, arguably thanks in large part to the return of writer Ted Tally, who penned the script for The Silence of the Lambs, but didn’t write Hannibal. His return brought with it a more suspense-driven approach, particularly with the mental chess games between Lecter and Will.

The other major reason why Red Dragon remains worth watching even after 22 years, and the character being recast twice, is Hopkins’ performance as Hannibal. Mikkelsen was truly a worthwhile successor to Hopkins, and in some ways better, but even with two movies behind him, Hopkins found new layers for Lecter to toy with both Norton’s Will and audiences which, combined with a better script, makes for an effective trilogy capper, even if an unintentional one.

What ScreenRant Has Said About Red Dragon:

However, the heart of the film is the relationship between Graham and Lecter which Ed Norton and Anthony Hopkins add great nuance to. Red Dragon is a solid thriller, but, when compared to different adaptations like Manhunter or Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal which delve deeper into the characters, it sometimes falls flat. It is a fun and engaging film but does not do justice to the unique gray morality of Harris’ original story.

Where To Stream The Other Hannibal Lecter Titles:

• The Silence of the Lambs (Tubi)
• Hannibal (The Roku Channel, Tubi)
• Hannibal Rising (Fubo)
• Hannibal Seasons 1-3 (Prime Video, Shudder, AMC+)

Source: Peacock (via CBR)

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Red Dragon is the third film starring Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter but acts as a prequel to the award-winning Silence of the Lambs and 2001’s Hannibal. The film is an adaptation of Thomas Harris’ 1981 novel Red Dragon and centers on Will Graham (Edward Norton) as he hunts the unhinged serial killer Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes).

Release Date

October 4, 2002

Runtime

124 minutes

Director

Brett Ratner

Writers

Ted Tally

Prequel(s)

Hannibal Rising

Budget

$78 million

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures
, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

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