Fans have been waiting a long time to hear news about the adaptation of a beloved queer YA novel and it’s finally here. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe will be released nationwide in theaters September 8, 2022.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is award-winning and best-selling YA novel, published in 2012. The book follows the titular Ari and Dante as they get to one another–the similarities and differences–and develop romantic feelings for each other. It is a beloved queer YA novel with two Brown boys at the center navigating family, culture, and, of course, the ups and downs of love.
The film adaptation is not new. It has been in the works since 2016, with its premiere happening at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022. It was named a “New Voices, New Visions” title at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in early 2023. The film’s director is Aitch Alberto, who is trans, proposed the project at the beginning and saw it through to fruition.
Lin Manual Miranda and Eugenio Derbez are producers on the adaptation–Miranda performs the audiobook edition of the title. Among the cast are Derbez, Eva Longoria, Veronica Falcón and Kevin Alejandro. Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales play Ari and Dante.
The team behind the film have not put adapting the companion novel, Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World, published in 2021, out of the question.
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