New Martin Scorsese-produced crime thriller enlists Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Gerard Butler

Three big stars who are familiar with bloody action sign on for a new movie produced by the iconic filmmaker

Image credit: Netflix

News by Fran Ruiz Contributor

Published on Oct. 17, 2023

Crime thrillers led by big-name actors are on the rise again, and At Eternity's Gate filmmaker Julian Schnabel's In the Hand of Dante could turn out to be quite the surprise. Martin Scorsese is among the executive producers, and the project is currently in production in Italy, after landing an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA that allows it to film during the ongoing actors strike.

The more exciting news about the movie arrived this week, when Deadline dropped the exclusive that Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Gerard Butler are all set to star in the thriller. All of them are widely known for big blockbuster roles, but at the same time, they've also played more complicated and emotional parts that maybe flew under many radars.

In the Hand of Dante's current, lengthy synopsis reads as follows:

"Based on the novel by Nick Tosches, it follows the story of the original manuscript for The Divine Comedy emerging in the clutches of a black-market smuggling ring in the dangerous underbelly of New York City, and weary scholar Nick is called by the mob to authenticate it.

"Overwhelmed by temptation, Nick defies the mafia and steals the manuscript in a frenzied bid to have it all. He follows a dark and violent path from a metaphorical Hell into Paradise with his love Giulietta, while a parallel tale unfolds: the odyssey of Dante himself, a man who is trapped in a loveless marriage with Gemma and bolstered only by his mentorship under an austere intellectual. He escapes to Sicily and creates his greatest work, immortalizing his lost love, Beatrice.

"Nick and Dante’s timelines weave separate paths, and yet the two men are inextricably linked — both lose themselves chasing love, beauty and the very promise of the divine."

This is sounding more complex and deeper than your average crime thriller, and you can infer why both Schnabel and Scorsese were attracted by Nick Tosches' third novel. Hopefully, the final result will deliver on all this promise.

Crime thrillers or not, there are plenty of exciting movies coming soon to cinemas as well as streaming, and you can find them all in our up-to-date guide.