Originally published August 15, 2017. This article preserves One Sixth Society’s original reporting and images; product availability, pricing, and opinions reflect the original publication period.
As exciting as Comic Con 2017 was, one of the coolest things I got to see at the show was the Blitzway Hannibal Lecter collectibles. There was a bit of confusion surrounding the nature of the figures given the Basic Instinct Sharon Stone statue. However, all of these questions have been cleared up by yesterday’s announcements. With that being said, let’s dive into the Blitzway Hannibal Lecter Figures.
Blitzway confirmed two Hannibal Lecter figures at Comic-Con 2017. Both are articulated figures, rather than statues, as the Blitzway team told us at the show.
Straitjacket Version
The first version discussed here is based on the arguably more iconic look from the film, the straitjacketed version of Hannibal. Now, I would say articulation is going to be limited here, as is the nature of the jacket. Under the jacket, he has an orange jumpsuit. Of course, the figure is removable from the wheeled dolly but I cannot imagine many people would take him off of it.
The sculpt is just as gorgeous as the white suit version, but with a creepy smile. He has two masks to cover his face, the metal wire mask, as well as the iconic Hannibal mask. Granted, that would be a pretty limited figure release if it was just Hannibal and the dolly, so Blitzway included a bonus: the sign Clarice runs by in the woods. A cool detail for a display for sure.
Prison Version
One of the two versions of Hannibal being made is the version of Hannibal closer to the end of the film. He wears a very basic outfit, consisting of a white shirt, white pants, and shoes. The outfit is nothing to write home about, but that is not the main draw of the figure. That would be the headsculpt as it is one of the most scarily realistic headsculpts I have ever seen. To me, the sculpt captures Anthony Hopkins’ likeness and Hannibal’s unsettling stare.
The other important thing about the figure is what made us think that it was a statue to begin with: the arms. Instead of having a jointed body with swappable hands, Blitzway developed a body with swappable seamless arms. These allow for recreating various iconic poses from the film in conjunction with various accessories. This approach offers different poses without visible elbow joints. Finally, the Blitzway Hannibal Lecter figure comes with a chair, a carpet, and some drawings, which provide the setting for his prison-cell poses.
Overall, these figures are both absolutely gorgeous, though I have a personal nitpick. Specifically with the White Suited version, I wish we had the blue jumpsuit included. That way all of his looks from the film could be achieved between the two figures. I also wish that the figures were less than 270 dollars apiece. If Blitzway’s other pieces are anything to go by, these should be truly impressive figures.
Choose the Scene, Then the Figure
The dolly and masks make the Straitjacket Version a transport scene; the chair, drawings and interchangeable arms make the Prison Version a cell scene. They are separate interpretations of Hannibal, rather than a Standard and Deluxe package in which one automatically contains the other.
