At long last, Julian Schnabel‘s “In The Hands Of Dante” will reach a wider audience after it hit the Lido last Fall. But is anyone still excited about it? First announced in 2011 at the height of Schnabel’s cinematic fame, with Johnny Depp attached to star, the adaptation floundered in development hell for twelve years before finally entering production. Now Oscar Isaac leads the film, in a double role as two real-life writers: Nick Tosche, author of the original novel, and an Italian poet and philosopher Dante Alighieri.
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Based on Tosche’s 2002 novel of the same name, Schnabel’s first film since 2018’s “At Eternity’s Gate” follows a writer who helps a mob boss steal Dante’s handwritten “Divine Comedy” manuscript, as a parallel tale follows the 14th-century poet creating his masterpiece.
Here’s an official synopsis for “In The Hand Of Dante,” courtesy of Netflix:
In the Hand of Dante follows the parallel lives of a New York author (Nick Tosches) in the 21st century who embarks on a violent journey after he is recruited by a mafia don to steal Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy written in the poet’s own hand, and Dante in the 14th century seeking inspiration to write his most important work – each man unknowingly connected through time and their obsessive quest for love, beauty, and the divine.
Along with Isaac, Schnabel’s latest also stars Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Louis Cancelmi, Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, Benjamin Clementine, Paolo Bonacelli, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, and Jason Momoa.
Most critics didn’t take to “In The Hand Of Dante” at its world premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival last September. In fact, The Playlist’s review was scathing, awarding the film a D-, and calling it a “maddening, irredeemable experience.”
“In The Hand Of Dante” hits select theaters on June 12 before premiering exclusively on Netflix on June 24. Watch a trailer for the film below.
