Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: A first look at Ari and Dante on screen
A first teaser look at the eagerly anticipated Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe movie is here! Adapted for the screen from the book of the same title by Benjamin Alire Saenz, this story has a cult fan base that has been following this production every step of the way. The teaser, which dropped today and introduced fans to our motion picture version of Ari (Max Pelayo) and Dante (Reese Gonzalez), set the internet a blaze.
Watch the teaser here:
It’s less than two minutes in length, but already, it’s clear that good choices were made with this cast. The teaser depicts both Ari and Dante as they stumble through their first encounter together. It’s taken from the beginning of the story at the local public pool where they introduce themselves for the first time and stumble over the unique and nerdy names they both have.
For anyone who has read the book and is intimately familiar with the source material, this scene is iconic, and it’s obvious why the filmmakers chose this one to tease audiences with today. It’s a wildly popular scene in the fandom, however the chemistry between Ari and Dante on screen here is magnetic. Both Pelayo and Gonzalez are fresh, green actors, yet with the sparks that are flying during the teaser, one would never guess.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe has finished filming and is out of the post production stages, however it has yet to be picked up by a distribution company. Because of this, anything regarding release dates, or even if it will air at all, remains to be seen.
The film is premiering tomorrow at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Director Aitch Alberto hopes that her beautiful little baby will be loved by everyone upon its screening and someone will pay them the money it deserves to be distributed to the world.
Alberto explained on Twitter back in August 2022, that indie films such as this one often get made without the guarantee of distribution at the onset of production. Additional steps, like screening the film at a festival like TIFF, is necessary to attract companies willing to invest in this part of the process.
For those still unaware, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the story of two Mexican-American teen boys from El Paso, Texas. They meet all the way back in the year of 1987 and strike up an instant connection. It’s gay, and it’s beautiful and its riveting, but it’s also heartbreaking and melancholy. And folks all around the world are desperately in love with this story.
TIFF is this weekend in Canada. The fate of this movie hangs in the balance! Watch this space and check back here for updates as they break!
