While not the company' s first film--Depp will star in the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary in March for Infinitum--In the Hand of Dante marks the start of a real push into the business with the company acquiring the rights to several books for film adaptation, including Dark Shadows for Warner Brothers, The Invention of Hugo Cabret which will be directed by Ice Age' s Chris Wedge, and the Gregory David Roberts book Shantaram, among others. In the Hand of Dante will be a potential star vehicle for Depp, its plot revolving around Dante' s "The Divine Comedy," and tells parallel storylines involving Dante in 14th-century Italy as he tries to complete the masterwork, and a contemporary storyline involving Tosches (whom Depp would play), who is asked to authenticate what might be Dante's original manuscript.

Depp should have his hands full, as before Dante can get rolling, he has starring turns to take in Tim Burton' s Alice in Wonderland, a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean, and a stint in The Lone Ranger. Though I wouldn' t be surprised if he also found the time in there to acquire the rights to a few more books .