Julian Schnabel returns to the awards conversation with his most ambitious project yet. 'In The Hand of Dante' represents a triumphant creative evolution from the intimate Van Gogh portrait that earned him an Oscar nomination in 2019.
Sources close to production tell us the dual-role demand on Oscar Isaac was intense—he essentially carried two films within one, shot back-to-back. Insiders say Schnabel pushed everyone hard during the Venice shoot to capture both timelines authentically.
The film premiered at Venice Film Festival in 2025 before Netflix acquired it earlier this year. Jason Momoa plays Rosario opposite Sabrina Impacciatore's Dr. Susanna Pulice, while Al Pacino portrays Uncle Carmine alongside Ibrahim Elouahabi as Young Nick.
With a June 12 theatrical release and Tribeca screening first, Schnabel is positioning this for maximum awards visibility. The question isn't whether this looks prestigious—it's whether Netflix knows how to market something this ambitious.
Netflix has finally unveiled the first trailer for 'In The Hand of Dante,' Julian Schnabel's sweeping historical epic that premiered at last year's Venice Film Festival and represents perhaps his most audacious creative gamble yet. The film, which drops in theaters June 12 before its streaming run, features an ensemble cast so stacked it reads like a master class in cinema history: Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, and Jason Momoa all appear in the adaptation of Nick Tosches' 2002 novel.
Oscar Isaac anchors the entire production with an extraordinary dual performance, playing both contemporary author Nick Tosches—whose fictionalized self appears in the story as a New York writer recruited by a mafia don to steal Dante Alighieri's handwritten manuscript of 'The Divine Comedy'—and the legendary poet himself in 14th century Florence. The parallel narrative structure finds each man on an obsessive quest for love, beauty, and the divine, their lives unknowingly intertwined across centuries.
It's ambitious material that requires Isaac to essentially carry two films within one, a challenge sources say he met with remarkable depth during production. The supporting cast elevates what could have been a straightforward literary adaptation into something approaching event status. Jason Momoa takes on the role of Rosario opposite Sabrina Impacciatore's Dr.
Susanna Pulice, while Al Pacino appears as Uncle Carmine alongside Ibrahim Elouahabi's Young Nick character. Gal Gadot plays Giulietta in what Deadline's stills suggest is a visually striking romantic element threading through both timelines. Having Martin Scorsese appear in the credits—yes, that Martin Scorsese—in any capacity adds another layer of prestige that most period pieces could only dream of commanding.
Schnabel hasn't made a feature since 2018's 'At Eternity's Gate,' his Oscar-nominated exploration of Vincent Van Gogh's final months. The eight-year gap makes sense when you consider the scope of what he's attempting here: financing and orchestrating a production that spans continents, centuries, and requires its lead actor to inhabit two completely different worlds with distinct visual languages. Schnabel adapted Tosches' novel alongside Louise Kugelberg, with producers including Jon Kilik, Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Olmo Schnabel, Gabriele Bebe Moratti, Vito Schnabel, and Julian himself.
Netflix's acquisition earlier this year signals serious awards intentions—the streaming giant doesn't typically commit to theatrical releases for prestige projects unless they believe in their commercial and critical potential. Before the June 12 bow, 'In The Hand of Dante' will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival, giving New York critics and industry audiences an early opportunity to weigh in. Given Schnabel's track record with intimate character studies—his Van Gogh film earned Willem Dafoe a Best Actor nomination—the jump to epic historical drama feels like both a creative risk and a natural evolution for a director who's never been content to repeat himself.
