Competing Dante's Inferno Films Are in the Works

In what might be the first sign of Hollywood’s inevitable shift from comic book inspired blockbuster to 14th century epic poem adaptations, Universal and Warner Bros now have competing Dante’s Inferno projects. The movie studios are within a dark woods where the straight way is lost.

Coming Soon reports that Warner Bros. has picked up a pitch for their version from Walking the Dead screenwriter Dwain Worrell. That take focuses on “The Divine Comedy,” the first third of the 100 canto poem. Worrell’s script will have Dante braving the nine circles of hell to save the woman he loves.

Meanwhile, at Universal, Evil Dead reboot director Fede Alvare is developing a movie based on the Electronic Arts video game, which tells the story of Dante’s descent into the underworld to rescue his amore.

And though this sounds weird, the original poem, which takes a despondent Dante on a tour of Hell and its denizens, does sound about as ripe as a classic can get for a modern day CGI supernatural action film. With lines like, “I am the way into the city of woe, I am the way into eternal pain, I am the way to go among the lost,” the poem is potent source material. Somebody just needs to call Samuel L. Jackson’s agent.