‘In the Hand of Dante’ Trailer Unleashes Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Martin Scorsese in Julian Schnabel’s Epic Historical Drama

First real look has dropped for In the Hand of Dante, the new historical drama from director Julian Schnabel, which first premiered at the Venice Film Festival before heading toward its wider release through Netflix.

The film brings together a massive cast of well-known actors from around the world. The lineup includes Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese, Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, and several others. It is one of Schnabel’s biggest projects since his 2018 film At Eternity’s Gate.

At the center of the story is Oscar Isaac, who plays two different characters. One is Nick Tosches, a modern-day New York writer. The other is Dante Alighieri, the famous Italian poet from the 14th century. The film moves between these two timelines and shows how their lives mirror each other in strange and unexpected ways.

The official story follows Tosches in the present day as he is pulled into a dangerous mission involving a mafia boss who wants to track down a legendary handwritten version of Dante’s Divine Comedy. At the same time, the film follows Dante himself as he tries to complete his masterpiece centuries earlier. Both storylines are connected through themes of obsession, power, and the search for meaning.

According to the official synopsis, “In the Hand of Dante follows the parallel lives of a New York author (Nick Tosches) in the 21st century who embarks on a violent journey after he is recruited by a mafia don to steal Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy written in the poet’s own hand, and Dante in the 14th century seeking inspiration to write his most important work.”

The film mixes different styles, including color sequences for the past and black-and-white visuals for the modern story. This contrast is used to show the difference between artistic history and the more violent modern world.

Production on the film has been a long process. The rights to the novel were first picked up in 2008, and several versions of the project were developed over the years before Schnabel finally brought it to life. Filming took place mainly in Italy, with additional production work in other locations.

The movie had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2025, where it was shown out of competition. It later moved toward distribution through Netflix, which plans to release it in theaters on June 12, 2026, followed by a streaming release on June 24, 2026.

Early reactions have been mixed. According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a divided critical response, with some praising its ambition and others pointing out its complex and sometimes uneven storytelling.

With its huge cast, layered storytelling, and blend of history and crime drama, In the Hand of Dante stands out as one of the most ambitious releases coming from Netflix next year.

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