Harris revealed that the character was inspired by a real-life doctor and murderer he met while visiting a prison in the city of Monterrey during a trip to Mexico in the 1960s when he was a 23-year-old reporter.Click to see full answer. Just so, who is Red Dragon based on?Red Dragon is a 2002 psychological horror film based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. Anthony Hopkins stars as psychiatrist and serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. It is a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Hannibal (2001). who was Hannibal Lecter based on a real person? The man who provided the inspiration for Hannibal Lecter, the cannibal serial killer from The Silence of the Lambs, was a gay Mexican doctor who ended his days treating the poor and desperately trying to forget his dark past. His name was Alfredo Ballí Treviño, The Times can disclose. He died in 2009 at 81. Keeping this in view, is Red Dragon a true story? The Real-Life Hannibal Lecter Was a Scary Dude, Too. Thomas Harris is an American author best known for a series of suspense novels that showcased one of the most despicable fictional doctors ever. His second novel, Red Dragon, published in 1981, introduced his most infamous character, the cannibalistic killer, Dr.Is Clarice in Red Dragon?Lecter and Clarice become cannibal lovers…. END SPOILER. There was good news for those who didn’t like the ending. A movie was announced that would reunite Hopkins and Foster, but at the last second, Foster left due to “creative differences.” Julianne Moore became the new Clarice Starling.