Julianne for Jodie

10/29/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

"The End of the Affair" star Julianne Moore appears to have the inside track on the role Jodie Foster turned down in the upcoming "Hannibal," the sequel to the 1991 Oscar-winning "Silence of the Lambs," reports Variety. After reading the script, Foster turned down the Clarice Starling role. Hannibal Lecter, in case you forgot, was a serial killer with disgusting tastes. Clarice was with the FBI. Anthony Hopkins is onboard to reprise his Oscar-winning role of Hannibal. The "Hannibal" script is said to streamline the Thomas Harris novel "Hannibal," keep Lecter out of the picture until the story is a quarter underway -- and leave the door open for a part III.