Here's a selection of alternate Hannibal Lecter masks that were tested for The Silence Of The Lambs. The Silence Of The Lambs wasn't the first movie to feature the character of Hannibal Lecter, with Brian Cox (Succession) playing the role in 1986's Manhunter. Cox's chilly, low-key turn is incredibly unnerving in its own right, but the film was little seen upon release and it took years for it to be appreciated. The Silence Of The Lambs was beloved right out of the gate, with the movie featuring stellar direction, writing and performances.
Anthony Hopkins' turn as Hannibal also wormed its way into viewers' collective nightmares. Hopkins' work isn't exactly subtle, but he was never less than menacing and the actor was showered with awards for this work. Audiences had to wait a decade for the good doctor to return for 2001's Hannibal, with Hopkins reprising the part once more for Red Dragon, itself a remake of Manhunter. Both movies were hits, but Hopkins later expressed regret at having returned at all after Silence Of The Lambs.
For that reason, it's extremely unlikely the actor would ever reprise Hannibal Lecter in another movie. One of the most iconic scenes from 1991's The Silence Of The Lambs sees Lecter meet with Senator Martin, the mother of Buffalo Bill's kidnap victim Catherine. Since he's a notorious cannibal and serial killer, Lecter is forced to wear a mask throughout for this meeting to remove any chance he might attack the senator. It slightly resembles a hockey mask without fully encroaching on Jason Voorhees/Friday The 13th territory. However, around a dozen alternates were tested for this alternate Hannibal Lecter mask before the final look was agreed upon.
As can be seen from Joseph Gordon-Levitt's tweet, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter masks went through many iterations. Everything from fencing to umpire or beekeeping masks were considered, but nothing quite worked and a mask was eventually constructed for the character. In the end, Silence Of The Lambs' filmmakers made the right choice with the mask they selected, which featured heavily in the film's marketing and images of Lecter, despite only appearing in one scene.
A mask of a similiar design would reappear in Hannibal and Red Dragon too. Even Mads Mikkelsen's Hannibal Lecter wore a facial covering that paid homage to Anthony Hopkins' Silence Of The Lambs mask on the NBC series. Had any of the other, alternate Hannibal Lecter masks above been selected, it's doubtful they would have had the same effect on audiences either.