Hannibal Rising

In 1944, young Hannibal Lecter, just eight years old, along with his sister Mischa, and their parents, seek refuge from the advancing German army. They flee to their family's hunting lodge in the serene Lithuanian countryside, attempting to escape the terror that is closing in around them.

While the Lecter family tries to find safety, local Lithuanian militiamen, eager to join the Waffen-SS, are left behind at Lecter Castle. Under orders from an SS officer, they murder the family's Jewish cook, revealing the disturbing enthusiasm they have for their violent task.

As the family takes shelter in the lodge, a Soviet tank approaches seeking water, inadvertently forcing them out of hiding. This brings both hope and danger, as the tank soon becomes the target of a German Stuka bomber, leading to a chaotic confrontation.

After a brief struggle, the Soviet tank shoots down the Stuka bomber, but the damaged aircraft crashes into it, resulting in a catastrophic explosion. This tragedy leaves only young Hannibal and his sister Mischa alive, violently stripping them of their family and home.

In the aftermath of the chaos, the six Lithuanian militiamen return to the now-abandoned Lecter Castle to loot it. Grutas, one of the militiamen, murders their wounded commander and claims his Iron Cross, marking their ruthless descent into savagery.

Now alone, Hannibal and Mischa face a soul-crushing winter in the woods. With dwindling resources and desperate militiamen closing in on them, the siblings find themselves at the mercy of hungry predators, which sets the stage for the horror to come.

Eight years later, Lecter Castle has been transformed into a Soviet-run orphanage. Hannibal, now a mute young boy, grapples with the trauma of his past, enduring taunts from peers and struggling with the memories of his sister, Mischa.

In a pivotal moment of self-defense, Hannibal uses a fork to fend off an attack from a bully who mocks him for his inability to sing the orphanage anthem. This act of defiance not only reveals his latent rage but also hints at the violent turns his life will take.

Hannibal escapes the oppressive orphanage and moves to Paris to live with his widowed aunt, Lady Murasaki-Lecter. Under her guidance, he begins to reclaim his voice, learning martial arts and the art of flower arrangement, all while honoring his family's past.

In the market, Hannibal's restraint is tested when a butcher insults Lady Murasaki. Later, driven by rage, he confronts the butcher and brutally exacts revenge, marking the emergence of his unsettling culinary skills as he begins to blend art with violence.

As Inspector Popil looks into the butcher's murder, Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal stay under the radar. She cleverly displays the butcher's severed head outside the police station during Hannibal's questioning, demonstrating her resourcefulness and loyalty.

Hannibal secures a place as the youngest medical student in France, immersing himself in the study of cadaver preparation. While witnessing the execution of a war criminal, his memories of Mischa resurface, prompting a dark journey into his past.

In an effort to recall the tragic fate of his sister, Hannibal injects himself with sodium thiopental while listening to Glenn Gould's rendition of the Goldberg Variations. The haunting memories draw him back to Lithuania, where he seeks closure and redemption.

Upon crossing into Soviet territory, Hannibal confronts Dortlich, a border patrol agent who spots him. In the ensuing struggle, Hannibal gains the upper hand, extracting information about the men who murdered his sister before killing Dortlich in cold blood.

Hannibal's quest for retribution leads him to confront Grutas, who has turned into a notorious sex trafficker. In a duel of wits and brutality, Hannibal unleashes his vengeance, killing Grutas before setting the houseboat ablaze, marking the final chapter in his sister's tragic legacy.