Some of the novel's characters, such as Mason Verger's sister, were left out of the film. Why?
I think if you get a book which is 600 pages, you have to reduce it to a script of 100 pages. In two hours of film, you cannot possibly include all the characters. We set ourselves a limit, and cut characters which weren't so vital.
A lot of the critics dislike the film. How does that make you feel?
That's completely wrong. If you read "Time" magazine, it's a fantastic review. 60% of the American reviews are sensational. 20% are mixed, not so good. In an Italian newspaper, an Italian critic wrote something very bad about it, and said that the American critics would also kill "Hannibal". But it's not true.
You are going to re-adapt Thomas Harris' first novel, "Red Dragon", a book you have already made with Michael Mann as "Manhunter". Why?
We focused the story on the FBI agent originally. I believe, after "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Hannibal", the audience would like to know where, when, and who arrests Hannibal Lecter for the first time. This is the story of "Red Dragon". We are going to do it. We don't know exactly when. We'll wait until Ted Tally delivers the script. Mr Tony Hopkins says he's willing to do it if he likes the script.
Read an interview with Hans Zimmer, composer for "Hannibal".
