Chapter 195: The Golden Supporting Role
"Just finished showering, and now you've worked me into a sweat all over again," Winona Ryder said breathlessly, lying on the bed as she ran her fingers through Aaron's hair.
Aaron was sprawled over her, smiling. "You were pretty wild just now too, weren't you?"
"By the way," Winona added, catching her breath, "you mentioned an explosion at the World Trade Center earlier. What was that about?"
"Oh, someone drove a truck packed with explosives into the underground parking garage at the World Trade Center," Aaron explained, lifting his head slightly. "They didn't make it all the way inside—six people were killed."
He brushed a hand over her shoulder. "In the future, don't go there unless you really have to. Who knows when another terrorist attack might happen?"
Winona froze for a moment. "Things like that don't just keep happening, do they?"
"You never know," Aaron replied calmly.
He looked down at her delicate features—her refined face and those clear, almost elfin eyes.
"Mmm," Winona suddenly leaned up and kissed him, lips and tongue entwining with intense heat.
When the kiss finally ended, Aaron pulled her onto his lap. "What's wrong—was that still not enough?"
She smiled faintly. "What, are you done already?"
"Done?" Aaron laughed, patting her lightly. "Round two starts now…"
---
Lower Manhattan — West Village
Dawnlight Pictures, New York Office
Aserin Beckett brought in two guests Aaron had specifically requested: director Jonathan Demme and author Thomas Harris.
After the tremendous success of The Silence of the Lambs, Aaron was now looking to develop another of Harris's works—Red Dragon.
Thomas Harris had published three novels so far: Black Sunday, Red Dragon, and The Silence of the Lambs. It was Red Dragon that first introduced his most iconic character—the infamous "cannibal," Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
"You want to remake Red Dragon?" Jonathan Demme asked, clearly surprised. He had only just finished filming Philadelphia for Dawnlight, which hadn't even been released yet.
Aaron nodded, then turned to Thomas Harris. "The 1986 adaptation, Manhunter, was far too rough and poorly executed. It completely failed as an interpretation of Red Dragon."
"Dino De Laurentiis only knows how to churn out shallow, imitation-driven commercial films," Aaron continued evenly. "Red Dragon should exist as a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs."
"Our focus should be on how Hannibal Lecter ended up confined in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane."
Thomas Harris considered it for a moment. "Isn't this a bit rushed?"
After all, Manhunter—the 1986 adaptation of Red Dragon—had been released less than ten years ago.
Aaron then turned to director Jonathan Demme. "I'll have Ted Tally start adapting the script first. Do you think releasing Red Dragon next year would be a problem?"
Ted Tally, the screenwriter of The Silence of the Lambs, had earned the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay with his very first adaptation—no small feat.
Jonathan Demme gave a helpless smile. "Aaron, you're really not letting me rest, are you?"
After a brief pause, he added, "If Ted's script meets my standards, I'm willing to direct this prequel."
Aaron nodded. "Dino De Laurentiis still holds the adaptation rights to Thomas's novels. Dawnlight will approach him to purchase the filming rights to Red Dragon, and we'll also invite him to serve as a producer."
"With the original director and screenwriter from The Silence of the Lambs on board," Aaron continued, "I'll also ask Anthony Hopkins to return as Hannibal."
"As long as we move quickly—before Anthony gets any older—playing a slightly younger Hannibal shouldn't be an issue."
Aaron's plan was clear. This new adaptation would be titled The Silence of the Lambs: Red Dragon, focusing on one central question:
Why did Hannibal Lecter end up in the psychiatric hospital in Baltimore?
"By the way, Thomas," Aaron added casually, "have you ever considered writing a sequel to The Silence of the Lambs—one that follows Hannibal after he escapes the hospital?"
The Hannibal Lecter IP was simply too valuable. Beyond films, it could easily expand into television series and spin-offs centered on characters like Clarice Starling.
"A sequel?" Thomas Harris smiled and nodded. "I've been thinking about it."
In both Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter's screen time was limited. A sequel, however, could place him firmly at the center of the narrative.
What Aaron truly wanted to develop was the story of Hannibal Lecter on the run after escaping confinement—and his renewed entanglement with FBI agent Clarice Starling.
There was no deeper reason than this: The Silence of the Lambs was phenomenally popular. Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling had become cultural icons.
If a sequel reunited Hopkins and Foster, it would be nothing short of a box-office nuclear weapon.
"Aaron, isn't it a bit early to think this far ahead?" Jonathan Demme reminded him. "Philadelphia is still in post-production."
"I know," Aaron replied calmly. "There's no rush. Let Ted work on the adaptation first, with Thomas's input."
It was only the beginning of the year. A release by the end of next year was more than feasible.
After Jonathan Demme and Thomas Harris left, the next hurdle was clear: negotiating with the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis.
De Laurentiis had acquired the adaptation rights to Harris's novels years ago—Manhunter itself had been his adaptation of Red Dragon.
He had originally intended to adapt The Silence of the Lambs as well, but after his preferred actor declined and Manhunter underperformed, he abandoned the project.
It was only later that Mike Medavoy—former president of Orion Pictures and now chairman of TriStar—purchased the rights and pushed the project forward.
Not long after, Aserin Beckett entered Aaron's office. "Should Don Steel follow up on this?"
"Absolutely," Aaron replied confidently. "I don't believe Dino De Laurentiis will object."
He tapped the desk lightly. "And we'll also need to speak with Anthony Hopkins. Since The Silence of the Lambs, his schedule has become increasingly packed."
Through Aaron alone, Hopkins had already appeared in Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Mask of Zorro. Edward Zwick was also eager to cast him in Legends of the Fall.
Beyond that, Hopkins had roles in Chaplin, Howards End, Blue Ice, and Freejack, with The Remains of the Day and Shadowlands set for release later this year.
There was no doubt about it—
Anthony Hopkins had become Hollywood's gold-standard supporting actor.