Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Gerard Butler are slated to headline an upcoming crime thriller titled In the Hand of Dante.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Before Night Falls and At Eternity’s Gate director Julian Schnabel is at the helm of the project, which has gained the backing of legendary director Martin Scorsese as one of the executive producers. Presently, the film is in production in Italy and has obtained an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA, which enables it to continue filming during the ongoing actors’ strike.
Adapted from Nick Tosches’ novel, the narrative delves into the turbulent journey of the original manuscript of The Divine Comedy, discovered within the grasp of an illicit smuggling syndicate lurking within the treacherous underbelly of New York City. As the plot unfolds, a jaded scholar named Nick is coerced by the mafia to validate the manuscript, triggering an internal conflict of desires and ethics.
As temptation ensnares him, Nick dares to defy the crime organisation and pilfers the manuscript in a frantic attempt to claim it all. A tumultuous trajectory ensues, leading him from a metaphorical Hell to Paradise alongside his beloved Giulietta. Simultaneously, a parallel story unfolds, recounting the odyssey of Dante, a man trapped in an unfulfilling marriage with Gemma and finding solace solely through his apprenticeship under a stern intellectual. Escaping to Sicily, Dante embarks on creating his magnum opus, immortalising his lost love, Beatrice.
The timelines of Nick and Dante intertwine, revealing the profound connection between the two men. Both lose themselves in the pursuit of love, beauty, and the elusive promise of the divine.
The production team boasts notable figures such as Jon Kilik, Francesco Melzi d’eril for MeMo Films, and Olmo Schnabel for TWIN Productions, while the executive producer team includes Scorsese, DreamCrew, Screen Capital/Screen One, and Tribune Pictures. Isaac, through his production company Mad Gene Media, along with Schnabel, will also serve as executive producers.
Source: Deadline
