Oscar Isaac Headlines Julian Schnabel’s Ambitious ‘In the Hand of Dante’ Arriving on Netflix

In a major acquisition that brings one of 2025’s most ambitious cinematic experiments to a global audience, Netflix has snapped up In the Hand of Dante, from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Julian Schnabel. The sprawling epic, which features an all-star ensemble cast led by Oscar Isaac, marks Schnabel’s first major work since his critically acclaimed 2018 film At Eternity’s Gate.

The pic, which features a big cast of headliners including 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, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year where Schnabel was awarded the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award for his contribution to the cinematic arts.

Oscar Isaac’s Dual Performance

Isaac plays dual roles: New York author Tosches in the 21st century and Dante Alighieri in the 14th century. This challenging double performance positions the actor at the center of an ambitious narrative that spans seven centuries and explores themes of artistic immortality, forbidden love, and the corrupting influence of greed.

The contemporary storyline follows Nick Tosches, a writer who is hired by a mafia don to confirm and then steal a priceless manuscript said to be Dante’s original Divine Comedy in his own hand, dragging Nick into an underworld he’s both repulsed by and complicit in.

Cast and Character Breakdown

The Film’s Unique Structure

Part muscular crime movie, part spiritual odyssey and part tragicomedy, the film turns a thriller about a stolen book into a meditation on immortality and the transcendental power of art and love. The film runs 150 minutes and alternates between color cinematography for the 14th-century sequences and black-and-white for the present-day narrative. In the Hand of Dante unfolds across two intertwined timelines — 14th century Italy, where Dante Alighieri searches for the inspiration to complete The Divine Comedy, and the present day, where writer Nick Tosches is pulled into a violent criminal underworld after being asked to authenticate a manuscript believed to be written in Dante’s own hand.

Production Details Table

From Johnny Depp to Oscar Isaac

The film had a long journey to the screen. In December 2008, it was announced Johnny Depp’s production company Infinitum Nihil had acquired rights to In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches, with Depp eying to star and produce. In July 2011, it was announced Julian Schnabel would direct the film.

However, In September 2023, Oscar Isaac joined the cast of the film, replacing Depp. Schnabel later revealed that Johnny said, ‘I’m not going to do it,’ Then Oscar called me up and said, ‘I’m your man‘.

Schnabel’s Directorial Vision

Director Julian Schnabel brought his unconventional approach to casting and storytelling. Schnabel applied that same instinct across the ensemble, including Gal Gadot, whom he cast after a single FaceTime call — without having seen Wonder Woman. “I didn’t have a preconception,” he said. “I just spoke to her … and I thought, she can do this“.

The filmmaker’s approach to the material emphasizes simultaneity over linear time. There is no past and there is no future. There’s only the eternal present, Schnabel explained, creating a narrative where Dante and Tosches exist as reflections of the same artistic soul across centuries.

Critical Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 45% of 20 critics’ reviews are positive. The film has divided critics, with some praising its ambition while others found it overly indulgent.

Critical Response Table

Pete Hammond for Deadline writes the film has an “unpredictable, if uneven, screenplay that is all over the map” and that the movie “bites off possibly more than it can chew“, but lauds Schnabel for taking a “big swing“.

Isaac’s Recent Netflix Success

The acquisition comes as Isaac continues his successful partnership with Netflix. The actor recently earned Golden Globe nominations for his performance in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and starred opposite Carey Mulligan in the critically acclaimed second season of BEEF, further cementing his status as one of the platform’s most valuable collaborators.

The Production Team

Schnabel and Louise Kugelberg adapted Tosches’ novel. Producers on the pic are Jon Kilik, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Olmo Schnabel, Gabriele Bebe Moratti, Vito Schnabel and Julian Schnabel. In October 2023, it was announced that Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler, and Gal Gadot had joined the cast of the film, with Martin Scorsese set to executive produce.

What to Expect

For viewers seeking challenging, auteur-driven cinema, In the Hand of Dante promises a visually stunning journey through crime, spirituality, and artistic obsession. The film represents the kind of ambitious, star-studded passion project rarely seen in contemporary cinema, blending gangster thriller elements with literary meditation and period drama.

Netflix has not yet announced a specific streaming release date, but the acquisition ensures that global audiences will soon have access to Schnabel’s latest artistic statement and Oscar Isaac’s dual tour de force performance.

Read More: Oscar Isaac Headlines Netflix Casino Drama The Roman, Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese

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