3:30pm UK, Tuesday October 01, 2002

Anthony Hopkin's has returned to the silver screen for a third bite at his most famous role as psychologist turned cannibal Hanibal Lecter.

Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes and Edward Norton attended the world premiere of Red Dragon in New York on Monday night.

SP Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter

They were joinned by Harvey Keitel and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who also star in the film.

Red Dragon is the third film starring Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, but is actually the first in the series.

The prequel to The Silence of the Lambs has already been filmed before - without Hopkins - called Manhunter.

Oscar-winning

So producer Dino De Laurentiis simply remade it as Red Dragon.

The 1986 version by Michael Mann had Brian Cox playing Lecter.

The Red Dragon version places much greater emphasis on Hannibal, following Hopkins' Oscar-winning interpretation.

Other guests at the screening included Josh Hartnett, Katie Holmes, Salma Hayek and P Diddy.

Red Dragon opens in the UK on October 11.