Hannibal (Harris novel) highest bestselling novel in 1999. Hannibal (Harris novel) Hannibal is a novel by American author Thomas Harris, published in 1999. It is the third in his series featuring Dr. Hannibal Lecter and the second to feature FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling. The novel takes place seven years after the events of "The Silence of the Lambs" and deals with the intended revenge of one of Lecter's victims. It was adapted as a film of the same name in 2001, directed by Ridley Scott. Elements of the novel were incorporated into the second season of the NBC television series "Hannibal", while
Jodie Foster Gordon's film "Waking the Dead" (2000), which she produced. She declined to reprise her role as Clarice Starling in "Hannibal" (2001), with the part going instead to Julianne Moore, and concentrated on a new directorial project, "Flora Plum". It was to focus on a 1930s circus and star Claire Danes and Russell Crowe, but had to be shelved after Crowe was injured on set and could not complete filming on schedule; Foster unsuccessfully attempted to revive the project several times in the following years. Controversially, she also expressed interest in directing and starring in a biopic of Nazi film director