During the filming of this movie, Sir Anthony Hopkins was playing King Lear at the National Theatre. During the filming of The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Brian Cox was playing King Lear at the National Theatre.
This movie was originally going to be titled "Red Dragon", the same name as the novel. However, when Year of the Dragon (1985) became a box-office failure, executive producer Dino De Laurentiis decided to avoid a "dragon" title. In May 1991, NBC decided to capitalize off of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) by airing the film under the title "Red Dragon: The Curse of Hannibal Lecter."
When the production could not get permission to film on board a commercial airplane, writer and director Michael Mann booked his actors, actresses, and crew onto a twilight flight from Chicago to Florida, where the production was relocating anyway. A stripped-down camera, lighting and sound equipment were taken on board as carry-on luggage. Pilots and flight attendants were appeased with gifts of movie crew jackets.
In a featurette included on the DVD, Tom Noonan (Francis Dollarhyde) said that he avoided all contact with cast members in order to heighten the isolation and tension between him and other people, particularly William Petersen (Will Graham).
Brian Cox said in the DVD interview that he based his portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecktor on Scottish serial killer Peter Manuel.
Michael Mann: [repeated phrase] The phrase "Time is Luck" used by Molly (Kim Greist) when talking to Will Graham (William Petersen). This phrase also appeared in Heat (1995), where it was used by McCauley (Robert De Niro) when talking to Eady (Amy Brenneman) about their relationship, and having time for them. It was also used in Miami Vice (2006), when Isabella (Gong Li) was talking to Sonny (Colin Farrell) about their relationship.