Oscar Isaac Embraces Julian Schnabel as ‘In the Hand of Dante’ Scores 8-Minute Venice Ovation - Variety
By Ellise Shafer | September 3, 2025
Oscar Isaac scored his second Venice ovation in five days as Julian Schnabel’s literary epic “In the Hand of Dante” premiered to eight minutes of applause on Wednesday night. Isaac also leads Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” which debuted on the Lido Saturday to a rapturous 13-minute reception.
As the credits rolled on “In the Hand of Dante,” in which Isaac plays both the 14th-century poet Dante Alighieri and 21st-century author Nick Tosches, the actor embraced his director and waved to a crowd of adoring fans.
Earlier on the red carpet, Isaac posed for photos with co-star Jason Momoa, who wore a baby pink suit with matching Birkenstocks. Though Momoa walked into Venice’s Sala Grande with his director and cast — including Louis Cancelmi, Franco Nero and Benjamin Clementine — the actor soon made an exit before the film started and was not present for the ovation. The film’s co-stars Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, Martin Scorsese and Al Pacino were also unable to attend.
Based on the novel of the same name by Tosches, “In the Hand of Dante” follows a New York City author in the early aughts as he is enlisted to confirm the origins of a manuscript believed to be Dante Alighieri’s original handwritten poem “The Divine Comedy.”
“After the sudden death of his daughter, Nick is summoned from self-imposed exile by a mafia don for his expertise on the Italian writer. With the help of an unpredictable assassin named Louie, the pair embark on a dark and murderous journey to steal and authenticate the priceless work,” the film’s synopsis reads. “Moving between the 21st and 14th centuries, ‘In the Hand of Dante’ weaves together the lives of Nick and Dante in their obsessive search for love, beauty and the divine.”
Alongside the premiere of “In the Hand of Dante,” Schnabel is being honored with the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award. The American artist and director has a long history with Venice Film Festival, winning its grand jury prize in 2000 for “Before Night Falls” and also premiering his films “Miral” (2010) and “At Eternity’s Gate” (2018) there, with the latter winning Willem Dafoe the best actor award for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh.
While accepting his award, an emotional Schnabel said: “The film would not exist without my beloved cast and the truly talented crew members. I never could have done this by myself. As well as my producers who believed in me, and of course my collaborator and my wife Louise. Thank you all. I want to thank my sons, Olmo and Vito, and there’s a lot more to say, but it would take too long.”