Still not much is know about the Manhunter re-make Red Dragon except that it started production on January 7th, 2002 [pushed back two months from November, 2001]. It is expected to be released somewhere at the end of this year [2002] but I believe somewhere closer to the start or even middle of 2003 is a more likely bet for a release date. If released at the aimed date it will be going up against Star Trek: Nemesis, James Bond 20 and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

If Sir Anthony Hopkins looks years younger in this next Hannibal Lecter flick it’s not because he has had a nip and a tuck. No, it will be because of computer enhancement which removes wear and tear from the star’s face. Producer Dino De Laurentis, was stuck with the problem of needing a much younger and slimmer Hannibal Lecter on screen and that’s where computer technology comes in. The technology has also been used to improve the looks of some well-worn stars, including Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. Whitney for whatever reason looks like a scarecrow in real life was recently “enhanced” when she made an appearance at Michael Jackson’s 30 Year Anniversary Special. Jacko who has been lifted, nipped, tucked and re-made so often he now looks like Helena Bonham Carter in The Planet of the Apes was made to look half-way human and even used the technology to colour-correct his appearance after a comment was made about the skin comparison with his brothers.

The apparently pain-staking process of the CGI effects is a gruelling frame-by-frame procedure.



Distributor: Universal Pictures

Producers: Dino De Laurentis, Martha De Laurentis, Ridley Scott

Screenwriter: Ted Tally

Director: Brett Ratner

The unconfirmed cast so far includes:

Anthony Hopkins [Hannibal Lecter]
Edward Norton [FBI Agent Will Graham]
Ralph Fiennes [Francis Dolarhyde]
Anthony Heald [Unknown] Philip Seymour Hoffman [Unknown] Harvey Keitel [Agent Crawford]
Mary Louise Parker [Mrs. Graham]
Emily Watson [Reba]