Hannibal is a 2001 thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. Set ten years after The Silence of the Lambs, the premise is that Hannibal Lecter's only surviving victim, the extremely wealthy Mason Verger, is determined to capture, torture, and kill him. The film's locations alternate between Italy and the United States.

Hannibal was the highly anticipated sequel to 1991's Academy Award-winning The Silence of the Lambs, which introduced Hannibal Lecter to mainstream moviegoing audiences (though the character was first portrayed by Brian Cox in the 1986 film, Manhunter, based on Harris' novel, Red Dragon). The Silence of the Lambs became only the third film in history to receive Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and screenplay adaptation. The character of Hannibal Lecter became a household name and part of popular culture. The "bumpy" development of Hannibal drew a large amount of attention, with Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme, screenwriter Ted Tally and actress Jodie Foster all eventually declining involvement. Upon release, Hannibal broke box-office records in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK in February 2001.