Gerard Butler is currently hard at work on the new American-Italian drama film In The Hand Of Dante that being directed by Julian Schnabel.

The longtime leading man was spotted shooting a new scene in the West Village neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan with a young co-star.

Principal photography began in October 2023 in Italy, after the project secured a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement when the union was still on strike.

Now with new agreements in place for the writers and performers, the production is able to move full stream ahead in New York City.

In between shots one of Schnabel’s sons, which appeared to be producer and director Otto Schnable, came over and chatted with Butler, who was barely recognizable with blonde hair as he shot a scene in a doorway.

Gerard Butler, 54, shot a scene with a young co-star on the set of the American-Italian drama film In The Hand Of Dante in the West Village of Downtown Manhattan

While chatting with the younger Schnable, his dad’s wife Louise Kugelberg stood by his side on set until her husband announced they were ready to shoot again.

Butler, 54, looked animated while talking with the boy in the doorway dressed in a black pants and a black leather jacket over a blue-patterned button-down shirt.

The Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland native was also dressed in black boots, but it was the hairpiece that gave him a far different look for his character.

At one point, the actor was photographed, seemingly in character, while trying to light a cigarette in the middle of a street.

Along with Butler, the all-star cast also includes Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Oscar Issac, Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, Al Pacino, John Malkovich, Fortunato Cerlino, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Louis Cancelmi, Benjamin Clementine, Claudio Santamaria, Guido Caprino, Paolo Bonacelli, Dora Romano and Duke Nicholson.

In the Hand of Dante, which is based on a novel of the same name by Nick Tosches, also has the backing of famed filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who serves as an executive producer.

Julian Schnabel, 72, began his career with the biographical drama film Basquiat (1996), starring Jeffrey Wright as the acclaimed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who used his graffiti roots as a foundation to create collage-style paintings on canvas.

He followed that up by directing Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls (2000), which was the actor’s coming out performance as an international star, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.

Butler chats with director Julian Schnabel’s son, who appears to be Olmo Schnabel, while waiting for his father to shoot the upcoming scene

The Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland native showed off his mean look while trying to light a cigarette while on the set of In The Hand Of Dante

Schnable, who is also a painter, scored a Best Director Oscar nomination of his own for the biographical drama film The Diving Bell And The Butterfly with Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Seigner serving as the leads.

Earlier this year, Butler starred in the espionage action thriller film Kandahar, which is loosely based on actual events, that was directed by Ric Roman Waugh from a screenplay by Mitchell LaFortune.

The actor plays Tom Harris, a freelance undercover operative working for the CIA alongside his translator who are forced to flee from Afghanistan after their covert mission is exposed, according to IMDb

Julian Schnabel, 72, first made waves as the director of the drama film Basquiat (1996), starring Jeffrey Wright as the acclaimed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat; he is seen in September

He also stars in the upcoming action film Den of Thieves 2: Pantera with O’Shea Jackson Jr., which is a direct sequel to Den of Thieves (2018).

His busy 2023 also saw Butler voice the role of King Kula in the upcoming animated film Naya Legend Of The Golden Dolphin.

Most fans known Scottish star best for his roles in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Shooters (2002), Reign of Fire (2002), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003), The Phantom Of The Opera (2004), 300 (2007), P.S. I Love You (2007) and The Ugly Truth (2009).

His resume went on into the next decade with such movies as The Bounty Hunter (2010), How To Train Your Dragon (2010), Olympus Has Fallen (2013), How To Train Your Dragon 2 92014), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), London Has Fallen (2016), How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) and Angel Has Fallen (2019).