Nick Tosches was a legend. He was the kind of writer who didn't just write books; he exhaled smoke and grit onto the page until a story formed. When his novel In the Hand of Dante hit shelves in 2002, it felt like a fever dream. It was dense. It was violent. It was deeply, unapologetically cynical about the publishing world while being obsessively romantic about the 14th century. Fast forward more than two decades, and we are finally seeing this madness translated to the screen by Julian Schnabel.
It’s been a long road.
If you’ve been following the production of In the Hand of Dante, you know it’s not your typical Hollywood adaptation. This isn't some clean, linear biopic or a straightforward thriller. It’s a dual-narrative epic that jumps between the life of Dante Alighieri as he finishes The Divine Comedy and a fictionalized version of Nick Tosches in the 2000s. The modern-day Nick gets caught up in a scheme involving a stolen manuscript of Dante’s work. It’s gritty. It’s pretentious in the best way possible. Honestly, it’s exactly the kind of project that should have been impossible to film.
The Long Journey from Page to Screen
Johnny Depp actually owned the rights to this book for a long time. He bought them back in 2008 through his company, Infinitum Nihil. People waited. And waited. But the project languished in "development hell," that dark place where good ideas go to die because nobody can figure out the budget or the script. Then Julian Schnabel stepped in. Schnabel isn't just a director; he’s a world-renowned painter. You can see that in his films like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly or At Eternity’s Gate. He doesn't care about "the rules." He cares about texture.
When Schnabel took over, the energy shifted. He didn't want a standard thriller. He wanted something visceral. He gathered a cast that feels like a fever dream in itself: Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler, and even Martin Scorsese in a rare acting role. Yes, that Martin Scorsese. He plays an elder sage who influences Dante. That alone makes the movie worth a look.
The production finally kicked off in Italy in late 2023. They filmed in Sicily, Venice, Verona, and Rome. If you’ve ever walked the streets of Florence, you know the weight of history there. Schnabel wanted that weight. He wanted the dust and the marble. The film wrapped production recently, and the buzz coming out of the editing room suggests it’s going to be a polarizing, massive, beautiful mess. Just like the book.
Why the Plot of In the Hand of Dante is So Weird
Let’s talk about the story because it’s a lot to process.
In the modern timeline, Nick Tosches (played by Oscar Isaac) is a writer who has basically given up on the sanctity of literature. He’s cynical. He’s tired. He gets called to verify a manuscript that is supposedly the original, hand-written draft of the Commedia by Dante himself. This is the "Holy Grail" of the literary world. Instead of doing the right thing, Nick gets sucked into a world of black-market deals and violence. It’s a noir. It’s dark.
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Parallel to this, we see Dante Alighieri in the 1300s. He’s struggling. He’s a man lost in his own head, trying to finish his masterpiece while dealing with exile and his own mortality. He’s also played by Oscar Isaac.
Wait.
Yes, Isaac plays both men. It’s a bold choice. It suggests a spiritual link between the two eras. The struggle of the artist doesn't change, even if the centuries do. One man is creating the soul of Western literature; the other is trying to sell it for a paycheck. The contrast is sharp. It’s painful. It’s kind of brilliant.
A Cast That Defies Logic
You don't usually see Jason Momoa and Gerard Butler in a movie that also stars Al Pacino and is directed by an experimental painter. It sounds like a joke. But it’s real.
Jason Momoa has been vocal about how much he loved working in Italy for this. We don't know exactly how he fits into the medieval or modern tapestry yet, but his presence adds a physical gravity to the film. Then there’s Gal Gadot. She’s playing Giulietta. In the book, the female characters are often seen through the lens of the men’s obsessions, but Schnabel has a history of giving his actors room to breathe.
Then there is the Scorsese factor.
Martin Scorsese playing a mentor to Dante is the kind of meta-casting that makes cinephiles lose their minds. Scorsese knows more about the history of film and art than almost anyone alive. Seeing him on screen, sharing space with Isaac’s Dante, feels like a passing of a torch. Or a lecture from a ghost. It’s eerie and perfect.
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The Reality of Dante’s Legacy
To understand why this movie matters, you have to understand the actual Dante Alighieri. He wasn't just a poet. He was a political exile. He was a man who was told he could never go home to Florence or he’d be burned at the stake. The Divine Comedy wasn't just "art"—it was a revenge fantasy. He put his real-life enemies in the literal pits of Hell.
The movie In the Hand of Dante tries to capture that rage. Most movies about famous historical figures make them feel like statues. They’re stiff. They’re polite. Tosches’ book—and Schnabel’s film—treats Dante like a human being who bled and sweated and probably smelled like old wool and ink.
The modern side of the story is where the "thriller" elements kick in. It’s about the "Hand of Dante"—the physical manuscript. In reality, we don't have Dante’s original handwriting. Every copy we have of the Divine Comedy was made by scribes after he died. The "Hand of Dante" is a myth. If a real manuscript ever surfaced, it would be the most valuable object on the planet. It would be worth more than a Da Vinci. The film plays with that greed.
The Visual Style: What to Expect
Don't expect a Marvel movie. Don't even expect a standard period piece like Gladiator.
Julian Schnabel shoots films with a handheld, almost documentary-like intimacy. He uses natural light. He likes blur. He likes frames that feel like they’ve been dipped in oil paint. If you saw At Eternity’s Gate, you remember how yellow and bright and dizzying it was. In the Hand of Dante will likely be the same. It will be beautiful, but it might make some people motion-sick.
The costumes aren't going to be "Hollywood clean." They’re going to look lived-in. The transition between the 14th century and the 21st century is reportedly handled through some very creative editing. It’s not a "portal" or "time travel." It’s more of a mental bleed. The past is always with us. It’s under the pavement.
Why This Film is a Risk for Everyone Involved
Let’s be honest: a 150-minute (estimated) art-house film about a 14th-century poet and a 21st-century book thief is a hard sell. In a world of sequels and reboots, this is a massive outlier.
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- For Oscar Isaac: It’s a chance to show incredible range, playing two versions of a tortured soul. It’s an "awards bait" role, but it’s also physically demanding.
- For the Producers: It’s a gamble on "prestige." They are banking on the fact that Schnabel’s name and this insane cast will draw people to a story that is intellectually heavy.
- For the Audience: It’s a challenge. You have to pay attention. You can't scroll on your phone during this one. You’ll miss the subtle visual cues that link the two stories.
The film has faced some hurdles with distribution, which is common for "difficult" art films. However, with the names attached, it's destined for a major festival run—think Venice or Cannes. That’s where this kind of movie lives or dies. The critics will either call it a visionary masterpiece or an indulgent mess. There is usually no middle ground with Schnabel.
Sorting Fact from Fiction
If you’re planning to watch the movie, here are a few things to keep in mind about the real history vs. the movie:
- The Manuscript: As mentioned, there is no known "original" manuscript in Dante’s hand. If someone tells you they found one, they are lying or they are in this movie.
- Nick Tosches: The author was a real person, but the "Nick Tosches" in the story is a fictionalized, darker version of himself. The real Nick passed away in 2019, so he won't see his "character" on the big screen.
- Dante’s Exile: Dante really was exiled from Florence in 1302. He spent the rest of his life wandering from city to city. He finished Paradiso shortly before he died in Ravenna in 1321.
- The Language: Dante wrote in the "vernacular"—the language of the common people (Italian)—rather than Latin. This was a revolutionary act. The movie reflects this by making the art feel accessible and dirty rather than elite and cold.
How to Prepare for the Release
You don't need to read the 500+ pages of The Divine Comedy to enjoy this. Honestly, reading the original Nick Tosches novel might be more helpful, though it's out of print in many places and can be hard to find. It’s a "cult classic" for a reason.
The best way to prepare is to watch Schnabel’s previous work. Watch Basquiat. Watch Before Night Falls. Get used to how he handles the lives of artists. He doesn't care about their "achievements"; he cares about their internal torment.
When In the Hand of Dante finally hits theaters or streaming, it will be a conversation starter. It’s a film about why we make things. It’s about why a poem written 700 years ago still has the power to make people kill, steal, and cry.
Actionable Steps for the Curious
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Dante and the making of this film, start here:
- Track the Festival Circuit: Keep an eye on the Venice Film Festival lineups. This is the most likely place for the world premiere.
- Explore the Source Material: Find a copy of Nick Tosches' In the Hand of Dante. It is a masterpiece of "transgressive fiction." Just be warned: it’s much more violent and graphic than you might expect.
- Revisit the Classics: If you've never read The Inferno, try the translation by Robert Pinsky or Mary Jo Bang. They capture the modern, jagged energy that the movie is trying to replicate.
- Follow the Cast: Keep an eye on Oscar Isaac’s production company, Mad Gene Media. They often post behind-the-scenes insights into his more "cerebral" projects.
The film is a bridge between two worlds. Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s a reminder that some stories never actually end. They just get handed down, from one hand to another, until they become something entirely new.