Manhunter

The Next Reel Film Podcast · Mar 27, 2025 · 1h 11m · transcript

“You want to know how he’s choosing them, don’t you?”

The Birth of Cinema's Most Infamous Cannibal

Before Anthony Hopkins donned the infamous mask as Hannibal Lecter, director Michael Mann brought Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon to the screen in 1986. Working with a budget of $15 million, Mann cast William Petersen as FBI profiler Will Graham and Brian Cox as the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (spelled differently in this adaptation). Despite Mann's growing reputation after Miami Vice, the studio showed little faith in the project, providing minimal marketing support. Join us – Pete Wright…