Julian Schnabel’s Star-Studded Epic ‘In the Hand of Dante’ is Heading to Netflix

Netflix has officially snapped up the rights to Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julian Schnabel’s ambitious new cinematic epic, In the Hand of Dante. Deadline first covered the news, with Netflix confirming soon after. 

Following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival—where Schnabel was honored with the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award for his contributions to cinema—the streaming giant secured the film for an upcoming release. Part muscular crime thriller, part spiritual odyssey, and part tragicomedy, this sprawling 150-minute feature promises to be one of the most talked-about additions to the Netflix library. 

The film is directed by Julian Schnabel. Schnabel also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Louise Kugelberg, adapting Nick Tosches’ original novel. Visually, the film is brought to life by cinematographer Roman Vasyanov and production designer Paki Meduri. The musical score was composed by Benjamin Clémentine, who also appears in the film. 

Here is everything we know so far about In the Hand of Dante.

What is the plot of In the Hand of Dante?

The film crosses centuries to weave two parallel stories together. The narrative kicks off when a handwritten manuscript of Dante Alighieri’s legendary poem, “The Divine Comedy,” finds its way from a priest into the hands of a New York City mob boss. The mobster enlists a gritty 21st-century author, Nick Tosches, to authenticate the priceless text.

Nick is quickly drawn into a dangerous underworld, hired to steal the manuscript. As he spirals deeper into this criminal enterprise, the film transgresses time, bouncing back to the 14th century to follow Dante Alighieri himself. Unknowingly connected across time, both men embark on an obsessive quest for love, beauty, and the divine, illustrating how greed, faith, and desire recur throughout history.

Who is in the cast?

To say this film has a massive ensemble cast would be an understatement. The staggering lineup of Hollywood heavyweights and esteemed character actors includes:

• Oscar Isaac is pulling double duty in the lead roles of modern-day author Nick Tosches and the 14th-century poet Dante Alighieri.
• Gal Gadot starring opposite Isaac as Giulietta / Gemma.
• Al Pacino as Uncle Carmine.
• Gerard Butler as Louie / Pope Bonifacio VII.
• Jason Momoa as Rosario.
• Martin Scorsese as Isaiah.
• John Malkovich as Joe Black
• Franco Nero as Don Lecco.
• Sabrina Impacciatore as Dr. Susanna Pulice
• Louis Cancelmi as Lefty / Guido Novello Da Polenta
• Benjamin Clémentine as Mephistopheles

What are the critics saying?

Prepare for a highly polarizing watch. Currently, the film sits at a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes and holds a 4.7/10 score on IMDb based on nearly a thousand audience votes. Critics and audiences are sharply divided; reviews range from glowing admiration for its ambitious, auteur-driven spectacle that “pulsates with life“, to harsh dismissals calling the lengthy runtime a “bewildering mess” and a “compelling disaster“.

Love it or hate it, In the Hand of Dante sounds like a massive cinematic swing that Netflix subscribers will simply have to judge for themselves!