Hannibal Lector is coming to a theater near you . again. On Feb. 9, Hannibal Rising will be in wide release. It is the prequel to all the previous Hannibal movies. Written by Thomas Harris at the same time he was writing the novel, Hannibal Rising chronicles Hannibal’s time as a child in Eastern Europe after World War II as he watches his parents being brutally murdered. He moves to France to study medicine and later becomes the serial killer we all know.

Playing the role of Hannibal is French actor Gaspard Ulliel. Famous in his home country for roles in films such as The Brotherhood of the Wolf, A Very Long Engagement and Strayed, this is only Ulliel’s second English role. Second-time director Peter Webber (Girl with a Pearl Earring), who was asked to direct this movie, auditioned Ulliel personally for the role. Speaking to a group of journalists, Ulliel talked about the director, the movie and the role of Hannibal Lector.

Q: This is only your second movie role in English; what was it like taking on the role made famous by Anthony Hopkins?

A: It was a bit scary, coming after Anthony Hopkins, as a French actor. When I did the audition with Peter Webber I saw that he would help me. After two hours of working on it I became comfortable with the role. It was quite addictive.

Q: How much did you base your portrayal of Hannibal Lector on Anthony Hopkins’ performance?

A: The Hannibal Lector that I played was very different from that of Anthony Hopkins. I tried to create my own character but I did use some aspects of Anthony Hopkins’ role. It was a very different location and time period from the other movies.

Q: How did you find the humanity in a character like Hannibal Lector?

A: First, I had a nice script. It is easy to see that this person is a regular person, more human than other characters. I tried to put a personal touch on the character. The whole movie is a crescendo. In the beginning of the movie I was closer to the character, but as he moved closer and closer to his nature as a serial killer and became very crazy in the second part of the movie, it was difficult to identify with him.

Q: What process did you use in preparing for this role?

A: I watched all the movies and read all the novels. This was very helpful in getting information about the character. Then I read some very interesting readings on real killers. I also worked a lot with Peter Webber. He organized a meeting with a movement coach and a breathing coach so I could learn how to move the right way. I finally went to a medical school to visit an autopsy class. It was important to see it.

Q: What was it like working with Gong Li?

A: The relationship that her character has with mine is very important for the evolution of Hannibal. She is very pretty and playful. She is a very generous actress. She gives a lot to her co-star so it is easy to work with her. She has a very Asian way of acting that is very professional.

Q: How did you use Brian Cox’s performance in your role?

A: I did not use Brian Cox’s performance at all. I did not want to copy other actors. People will like to compare my performance to Anthony Hopkins because he was in three movies and Brian Cox has only been in one. I used some of Anthony Hopkins’ performance, but none of Brian Cox’s.

Q: What language do you like to act most in: English or French?

A: Working in English was a lot of preparation, it is difficult. There was more work on set. I had lessons, but I tried to distance myself from the lessons and songs that I learned when I am performing to make it seem natural. It’s different when you work in your own language. I went to a bi-lingual school so I can understand everything but I had to work on my accent.

Q: With this big English role, will you want to work more in Hollywood?

A: This is a job where you never know what will happen. I don’t want to have expectations but I hope this will give me more offers to work here. But I like my job in France and I love French cinema.

Q: Thomas Harris has received a lot of criticism for writing the screenplay and the novel at the same time.

A: Doing the prequel might kill the audience’s imagination, but Thomas Harris is the father of Hannibal Lector. The character might lose some mystery but it is a good thing to learn about him.

Q: How do you compare Hannibal Rising to all the movies you worked on before?

A: First working in English is way more tiring. Also, I worked 12-hour days in this movie but in France we are lazy and only work eight-hour days. It was very different.

Q: You have talked a bit about Peter Webber. What was it like working with him, as this is only his second movie after Girl with a Pearl Earring?

A: It was great. The French producer sent me a script and I met Peter in Paris. We had a quick chat and I saw he was welcoming and nice. He had motivation and he knew exactly what he was looking for and made me feel comfortable. Before the second meeting with him I saw his movie. It was a great movie, a small movie; I saw he was the right person for the job. He lets actors do their thing. I like the way he treated the actors. As a young director dealing with technical problems, he still had time for the actors.

Q: Why do you think people like the character of Hannibal Lector so much?

A: With this film you do feel sympathy for the characters. I can’t explain why we have this attraction for this character. I think because this man is a mix of the best and worst of a human being. He is witty, talented and yet he is a killer.