With Heat 2 still simmering, one of Michael Mann‘s most underrated movies is getting the attention it deserves. Manhunter, the 1986 thriller that first introduced Hannibal Lecter to the moviegoing public, is coming back to the big screen for its 40th anniversary in a new 4K restoration supervised by Mann himself. Collider is proud to exclusively present the trailer for Manhunter: The Final Cut, which will be released in select theaters on July 24, courtesy of Studiocanal and Rialto Pictures.
Adapted from the 1981 novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, the first of his Hannibal Lecter novels, Manhunter had its original title changed, despite the protests of Mann, because producer Dino De Laurentiis was concerned audiences would think it was a martial arts movie. Mann was never fully satisfied with the finished film, which has become revered among the director’s devotees. In addition to a full 4K restoration, the film will also have revised color grading, some deleted lines of dialogue, and more of Brian Cox‘s Hannibal Lecktor (the spelling of the character’s name is altered in Manhunter). The trailer only offers a taste of what The Final Cut has to offer; you’ll be able to see it all for yourself on the big screen for the first time in four decades on July 24.
What Is ‘Manhunter’ About?
As a serial killer known as the Tooth Fairy leaves a trail of murdered families in his wake, FBI Agent Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) turns to retired profiler Will Graham (William Petersen). Graham left the bureau after his journeys into the minds of murderers and madmen became too much to bear, but he throws himself into the investigation, even using a tabloid journalist (Stephen Lang) as bait to draw the killer out. He’s soon forced to seek the advice of one of his old foes; imprisoned cannibal Hannibal Lecter (Cox). Meanwhile, the killer, Francis Dollarhyde (Tom Noonan), is wrestling with his own personal demons, even as he tries to romance his blind coworker, Reba McClane (Joan Allen). Cop and killer soon collide in a violent showdown that will mark both men forever.
Manhunter was not a commercial or critical success upon its release, and it was greatly overshadowed when The Silence of the Lambs came out five years later, with Anthony Hopkins winning an Oscar for his interpretation of Lecter. However, the film has grown in esteem over the years, with critics coming to appreciate Mann’s trademark directorial flourishes, the cinematography of Dante Spinotti, and the performances of the cast, especially Petersen, Noonan, and Cox.
Manhunter: The Final Cut will be released in theaters on July 24. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
