The 2002 novel concerns that seminal work of Italian literature, Dante's "The Divine Comedy."  Tosches, best-known for his rock essays and contributions to Vanity Fair, tells parallel tales of Dante struggling to complete his work in the early 14th century along with a contemporary storyline in which a writer and part-time thief named Nick Tosches (I love guys who want to fictionalize themselves) is asked to authenticate what may be the author's original manuscript… harrowing adventures ensue.

I have never read "In the Hand of Dante" so I can't help but see resemblances here to "The DaVinci Code" (that must really gall Nick Tosches) and even Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" in which Johnny Depp played a part-time thief who also happened to be a rare book authenticator.  That movie had a few, er, "issues" so let's hope that Depp and Co. can get something a bit more cohesive this time out.  It's only a movie concerning one of the greatest works of literature EVER so, you know, no pressure.