Oscar Isaac stars in Julian Schnabel's new film *In the Hand of Dante*, an adaptation of Nick Tosches's 2002 novel. The movie follows Isaac as both a fictionalized version of Tosches—a journalist involved with the mob to steal and authenticate the *Divine Comedy* manuscript—and as Dante Alighieri himself, with a supporting cast including Martin Scorsese, Gal Gadot, John Malkovich, and Gerard Butler. The film premieres in theaters on June 12, and the article features a conversation between Schnabel and Isaac about their long friendship, acting instincts, and the film's themes of creative and destructive genius.
The article matters because it highlights the continued collaboration between a major visual artist-turned-filmmaker (Schnabel) and a celebrated actor (Isaac), and it underscores Schnabel's ongoing fascination with tormented male artists—a thread running through his earlier films like *Basquiat* and *At Eternity's Gate*. The piece also offers insight into the creative process behind a high-profile arthouse film that blends genres and historical periods, reflecting broader cultural interest in the intersection of visual art and cinema.