Thomas Harris' first Hannibal Lecter book was named Red Dragon, but its 1986 movie adaptation was instead dubbed Manhunter, and here's why. While it wasn't until The Silence of the Lambs became a blockbuster movie that Harris' books got rocketed into the pop culture stratosphere, it didn't really take that long for Red Dragon to be adapted. The novel was published in October 1981, and was on theater screens less than five years later. Not everyone can be Stephen King, with books optioned before they're even on shelves.

Red Dragon, the tale of Will Graham's attempt to catch a serial killer known as The Tooth Fairy, while reluctantly seeking help from old foe Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, has now been adapted three different times. Oddly enough, all three adaptations have merit, and none of them stick out as the clear weak link. There was Manhunter, directed by Michael Mann, in 1986, then Red Dragon, directed by Brett Ratner of all people, in 2002, and Bryan Fuller's Hannibal season 3 in 2015.

Related: Red Dragon: All 3 Times The Novel Was Adapted To Movies & TV

Objectively, Red Dragon is a better, cooler title all around than Manhunter. Even to this day, there are some fans unfamiliar with the film that don't realize it's a Red Dragon adaptation. So why did the title get changed? It turns out the reasoning is kind of stupid.

Manhunter: Why Hannibal's First Movie Wasn't Called Red Dragon

manhunter tom noonan as dolarhyde

As one might imagine, the original plan was to call Red Dragon's first movie adaptation just that, Red Dragon. That changed thanks to producer Dino de Laurentiis, a prolific producer who was involved with a lot of great stuff over his long career, but also kind of a character. When Manhunter was in production, de Laurentiis had recently produced a crime thriller called Year of the Dragon, directed by The Deer Hunter helmer Michael Cimino. Year of the Dragon was a box office bomb and received mixed reviews, but like many movies, has gained fans over the years.

Unfortunately, in logic sure to make most fans scratch their heads, de Laurentiis became worried that Red Dragon's use of the word dragon might make audiences associate it with Year of the Dragon and not go see it. According to star William Petersen, de Laurentiis also worried that consumers might think Red Dragon was a martial arts movie in the style of Bruce Lee. So as usual, the producer won out and Red Dragon was re-titled Manhunter. That's despite director Michael Mann hating the new title, as well as Hannibal Lecter actor Brian Cox. To make matters worse, Manhunter bombed at the box office anyway.

More: Hannibal: Which Movie Each Season Adapts