Hannibal Rising
Rate Movie[Total: 3 Average: 2.7]
- Directed By: Peter Webber
- Written By: Thomas Harris
- Release Date: February 9, 2007
- Domestic Distributor: The Weinstein Company/MGM
- Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Li Gong, Rhys Ifans, Dominic West
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $65 million | Financed by: Quinta Communications; Ingenious Film Partners; Zephyr Films |
|---|---|
| Domestic Box Office: $27,670,986 | Overseas Box Office: $54,498,898 |
Hannibal Rising was financed for $65 million by Quinta Communications, Ingenious Film Partners and Zephyr Films. Producer Dino De Laurentiis and head of Quinta, Tarak Ben Ammar brought three big projects to pre-sell at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival — Hannibal Rising, The Last Legion and The Decameron. It is at the 2005 Cannes Festival where the Weinsteins launched their new company (aptly named The Weinstein Company), when the producing brothers were fresh off their Miramax divorce from Disney. At the festival they secured major capital from Goldman Sachs and immediately took the rights to the three pictures that Ammar and De Laurentiis were shopping.
Tarak Ben Ammar then decided he would heavily invest in the formation of The Weinstein Company after the Weinsteins committed to distribute the films and took a seat on their board. As for the packaged movies, despite being heavily marketed Hannibal Rising disappointed at the box office, The Last Legion was basically dumped and bombed miserably and The Decameron was retitled Virgin Territory and sent straight to video.
The Weinstein Company dated Hannibal Rising for February 9, which was the exact date the hit Hannibal opened in 2001. Rising was released by TWC and their distribution partner MGM and the prequel bowed against Norbit. Hannibal Rising was booked into 3,003 theaters and was tracking for around a $20 million opening. Reviews were rotten and it came in below expectations with $13,051,650 — placing #2 behind Norbit. Hannibal Rising showed terrible legs at the box office, declining 58.5% in its second frame to $5,418,106 and 68.5% in its third weekend to $1,706,165. The prequel closed its run with a weak $27,670,986. The Weinstein Company would see returned about $15.1 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would not cover the P&A costs.
Overseas, Hannibal Rising pulled in mediocre to poor numbers, posting $54.4 million across numerous distributors, which is less than half of previous installment Red Dragon‘s $116 million overseas cume. More theatrical entries were planned by producer Dino De Laurentiis, but scrapped after the poor worldwide box office receipts and a more successful television series was launched in 2013.