Jodie Foster will presumably be replaced by Cate Blanchett

May 16, 2009 08:52 GMT  ·  By
Veteran actor Anthony Hopkins will be returning as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in feature film
   Veteran actor Anthony Hopkins will be returning as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in feature film

Seven years from the last Hannibal Lecter story, “Red Dragon,” and almost two decades after starring in the part that would carve his name in the most ferocious onscreen killers hall of fame, “The Silence of the Lambs,” Anthony Hopkins is set to reprise the part for yet another movie in the franchise. Universal has just announced that the veteran actor will be returning as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, HollywoodRag informs.

However, while Hopkins’ involvement in the project is a go, there still are some details as regards his police female friend, originally played by Jodie Foster. Reportedly, the movie studio initially wanted to approach Foster with an offer, but quickly decided against it when it became clear she might turn it down on the grounds that her schedule did not allow her to return to the franchise, since she was bent on directing a new Claire Danes film.

“Anthony Hopkins and director Ridley Scott are both very committed. We like what we’ve got, and the revised script is really, really good.” Universal says. As for Jodie, an inside source reveals to the media that her collaboration is no longer wanted, and not only because of her other interests but also on account of the fact that too much time has passed to have her return to the franchise now. “We’ve decided that we’re not going to reapproach Jodie. We are trying to come up with the right lead to replace Jodie and are putting together a list of candidates.” the insider adds.

In this sense, Cate Blanchett is reportedly at the top of the list, but no confirmation of any kind has yet been made. However, should the rumor prove to be accurate and Cate be signed onto the project, then the film will certainly be a blockbuster, the same spy believes. “I think Hopkins’ involvement raises the quality of the film considerably. Cate is a very respected actress, and she’s obviously been in the industry for a long time. In terms of pedigree, Cate would probably bring as much to the film as Foster did.” the insider argues.

Nevertheless, fans of Dr. Hannibal Lecter should not get their hopes too high just yet: a release date (even estimative) has not been announced until now, while other details regarding the film continue to be sketchy. For more on this, keep an eye on this space.

*Update: As our readers also point out, it turns that this is actually an older story that got picked up by Google and then spread on the Internet like wild fire. A new Hannibal Lecter is not happening, and probably never will again, sources say.