The trailer for In the Hand of Dante, Netflix’s new historical epic from Julian Schnabel, has been released. Adapted from Nick Tosches’ 2002 novel, the film follows two men, both played by Oscar Isaac, across different centuries as their lives become connected through Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy.
Isaac plays both New York author Nick Tosches in the 21st century and Dante Alighieri in the 14th century. In the present-day storyline, Tosches is recruited by a mafia don and pulled into a violent search for a manuscript of The Divine Comedy said to have been written in Dante’s own hand. Centuries earlier, Dante is searching for the inspiration to write the work that will define his name.
The film features a huge ensemble cast, including Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Louis Cancelmi, Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, Benjamin Clementine and Paolo Bonacelli. Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino and Jason Momoa also feature, giving Schnabel’s latest work one of the year’s most striking casts.
Schnabel directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Louise Kugelberg. It marks his latest feature since At Eternity’s Gate, the Oscar-nominated Vincent Van Gogh portrait starring Willem Dafoe. Producers on In the Hand of Dante include Jon Kilik, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Olmo Schnabel, Gabriele Bebe Moratti, Vito Schnabel and Julian Schnabel. The film debuted at the Venice Film Festival last year and is also set to screen at the Tribeca Festival before its release, giving it an impressive festival path before it reaches wider audiences.
For CultureCues, this is one of those trailers where the cast list alone is enough to make people stop scrolling. Oscar Isaac taking on two roles across two timelines already gives In the Hand of Dante a bold centre, and adding Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino and John Malkovich around him only makes it more intriguing. The premise has plenty going on too, with a stolen manuscript, a dangerous present-day journey and Dante’s search for inspiration giving Schnabel a lot to play with. Whether it becomes a grand meditation on art or simply a very strange, star-packed epic, this is certainly not short on ambition.
In the Hand of Dante is set for a limited theatrical release on 12 June, before arriving on Netflix on 24 June.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.