Julian Schnabel’s In The Hand of Dante Comes to Netflix
EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has acquired In the Hand of Dante, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julian Schnabel.
The film boasts an impressive cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Louis Cancelmi, Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, Benjamin Clementine, Paolo Bonacelli, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, and Jason Momoa. It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year, where Schnabel received the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award for his contributions to the cinematic arts.
This marks Schnabel’s first film since 2018’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate. The movie adapts Nick Tosches’ 2002 novel, in which Isaac portrays both Tosches, a contemporary New York author, and Dante Alighieri from the 14th century. The plot follows Nick as he is hired by a mafia boss to authenticate and ultimately steal a manuscript believed to be Dante’s original Divine Comedy. This journey drags Nick into a morally complex underworld that he finds both repulsive and irresistible at once. The film explores how themes of greed, faith, desire, and the search for meaning recur through time.
As Nick unravels the mystery surrounding the manuscript, he discovers his true identity both as Nick and as Dante. The narrative blends elements of a crime thriller with a spiritual quest and elements of tragicomedy, transforming a heist story about a stolen book into an exploration of immortality and the profound impact of art and love.
Schnabel, along with Louise Kugelberg, adapted Tosches’ novel for the screen. Producers for the project include Jon Kilik, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Olmo Schnabel, Gabriele Bebe Moratti, Vito Schnabel, and Julian Schnabel.
Recently, Schnabel was honored at the Texas Film Awards, which recognize filmmakers and talents associated with the Lone Star State. Although a native of Brooklyn, Schnabel spent his formative years in the surfing community of Brownsville, Texas, a location that has significantly influenced his career as both a painter and a filmmaker.
CAA Media Finance and WME Independent collaborated on domestic representation, while WME managed international sales.
