In Britain, Hannibal earned $9 million over the weekend, the biggest three-day box-office gross ever for an 18-rated (R) film in that country.

In an editorial, the British Guardian newspaper commented: "Why this movie, now, particularly as it is but a sequel that has had relatively poor reviews compared to the original Silence of the Lambs? The answer, of course, is in that single-word title: Hannibal. It's not a movie. It's not even a phenomenon. It's a brand."

Source: Studio Briefing