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It was filmed in 1986 as Manhunter by Michael Mann, with Brian Cox as Hannibal and Joan Allen as the blind girl Reba McClane, who Watson will be playing.
"I've already had a meeting with Anthony Hopkins who loves to come up behind you and make that Hannibal sucking noise," says Watson adding, "I'm into the creepy fun of it all. The first thing I did when I got the part was to buy myself a nice Chianti."
Joining Watson and Hopkins are Edward Norton as the FBI agent Will Graham, Harvey Keitel as the police chief and Ralph Fiennes as the psychopath known as The Tooth Fairy. "Our film will be a lot different from the Michael Mann movie Manhunter which omitted so much. Ours is much closer to the book," promises Watson.
The movie finds Hannibal being arrested and then recruited in prison to help find Watson, who is being held hostage by Fiennes.
As for the potential gore factor, Watson says, "Last year's Hannibal was more graphic than our movie will be. We're telling a story that's much more like Silence of the Lambs, where a lot is left to the imagination."
One thing that will tax the imagination is that Hopkins is playing a much younger version of Hannibal as this story predates both Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal.
"Anthony jokes he'll just pull the sides of his face taut," says Watson.
"Really though, Anthony is such an incredible actor the age thing won't be an issue for a second."
Watson is currently starring in Robert Altman's ensemble whodunit Gosford Park, in which she plays a maid who may or may not have killed her employer.
Watson is also scheduled to play Adam Sandler's love interest in Paul Thomas Anderson's comedy Punchdrunk Knuckle Love and star in the historical drama Cromwell & Fairfax playing Lady Anne Fairfax to Tim Roth's Oliver Cromwell.