Foster Says No to 'Hannibal'

11/19/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

After months of will-she-or-won't-she speculation, Reuters reports that Jodie Foster has finally passed on the chance to reprise the role of Clarice Starling in "Hannibal," the planned film sequel to "Silence of the Lambs." Foster won a 1991 Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of the FBI agent, and the film also earned Oscars for Best Film, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Screenwriter (Ted Tally) and Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins). Both Demme and Tally passed on working on the sequel after reading Thomas Harris's book, which has been criticized for being more brutal than the original (it remains on the NY Times Bestseller list). Hopkins, who played Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, has yet to commit to the project, which is scheduled to begin shooting in the Spring of 2000. Foster's spokesperson said she opted out of the role for the chance to direct actress Claire Daines in "Flora Plum," a film about a 1930s circus performer.