‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ Brings a Beloved Duo to the Big Screen
Over a decade after Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza and Dante Quintana stole readers’ hearts in Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s searing LGBTQ+ novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, the iconic characters are coming to the big screen. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was published in 2012 and follows the story of Mexican-American teenagers Ari and Dante as they form a powerful connection and navigate life, sexuality, and their family histories together. The book received high critical acclaim, becoming a Michael L. Printz Award honor book and receiving two American Library Association (ALA) accolades. It remains of the most popular LGBTQ+ young adult novels ever written.
In 2021, Sáenz expanded the story of Ari and Dante with a sequel, Ari and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. While it didn’t attain the widespread critical acclaim its predecessor did, the sequel received positive reviews from critics and even scooped up a Grammy nomination for Best Audio Book, Narration, & Storytelling Recording. Now, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is expanding once more with a long-awaited film adaptation from filmmaker Aitch Alberto.
Ever since filmmaker Aitch Alberto first read the book in 2014, she has been working to bring it to the big screen. This included attaining the film rights in 2018 and employing the help of Lin-Manuel Miranda along the way. After years in the making, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is getting closer to making its theatrical debut. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming film so far.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe release date
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe first had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. It is now set for a theatrical release in the U.S. on September 8, 2023.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe trailer
Blue Fox Entertainment dropped the first official trailer for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe on June 28.
The trailer gives viewers a first look at Ari and Dante, as well as their respective families. It also shows the film’s faithfulness to the book as it captures the pair’s first meeting at their local pool and the friendship they form. We see them meeting each other’s families for the first time and discussing life, art, and the nature of their relationship. There are some tense moments as they seem to disagree about what their relationship should be and try to maintain a long-distance friendship. However, there are also sweet moments of the boys learning to swim, jumping in the rain, and hugging as they set out to understand the universe together.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe cast
Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales star as the film’s titular characters, Ari Mendoza and Dante Quintana, respectively. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe marks the feature film debuts of both of its young actors. Eva Longoria stars in the film as Dante’s mother, Soledad Quintana, while Lucifer star Kevin Alejandro appears opposite her as Dante’s father, Sam. Making up the Mendoza family are Overboard‘s Eugenio Derbez as Ari’s father, Jaime, and Ozark star Veronica Falcon as Ari’s mother, Liliana. Real-life twin sisters and actresses Melissa and Michelle Macedo will appear as Elvira and Emilia Mendoza, Ari’s older twin sisters, who were named Cecelia and Sylvia in the book.
One Day at a Time actress Isabella Gomez and The Orville star Hanani Taylor play Ari’s classmates, Gina Navarro and Susie Byrd, respectively. That ’90s Show‘s Diego Parra also appears in the film as Dante’s initial romantic interest, Daniel. Dallas star Ana Marlene Forte plays Ari’s lesbian Aunt Ophelia, while Emiliano Torres plays Tío Juanito, presumably an uncle to either Ari or Dante.
Rounding out the cast is Manifest star Luna Blaise portraying Elena Tellez. Given her young age, she may be playing a classmate of Ari or Dante. Lastly, Martin Morales appears in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe as Mr. Rodriguez; in the book, he is the father of one of Dante’s bullies and the owner of the body shop in El Paso, TX.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe plot
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is expected to closely follow the plot of the novel. The story centers on Ari and Dante, two teens who meet in El Paso in 1987 while swimming at a local pool. Dante is a gay teenager who has been the victim of discrimination in El Paso, while Ari is a loner who struggles to control his temper and is afraid of ending up like his imprisoned older brother. Despite their differences, they strike up a very close friendship. Eventually, Dante becomes open and proud of his love for Ari, but Ari finds the road to self-discovery much more difficult. Fortunately, they have each other to lean on as they set out on a journey together to discover their true selves.
(featured image: Blue Fox Entertainment)
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