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.
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."
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.
A then-unknown Ted Levine came to the wrap party to visit William Petersen, an old friend of his from the Chicago theatre scene. A chance meeting with writer and director Michael Mann led to an audition and his subsequent casting in Mann's Crime Story (1986). Levine had his breakout performance as Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb in the second adaptation of the Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Lecter) books, The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
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.