Moviegoers are about to seeJames BondstarDaniel Craigas they have never seen him before in his next film byCall Me Be Your Namedirector, Luca Guadagnino. TitledQueer, more details about the project are emerging, with the film having now been picked up for U.S. distribution by the acclaimed studio behind the likes of Academy Award winnersMoonlightandEverything Everywhere All at Once,A24. PerDeadline, former 007 Daniel Craig’s next film,Queer, has landed U.S. distribution courtesy of indie studio A24, with a new image showing an emotional Craig seeking solace in co-star Drew Starkey. you’re able to check out the new image below:
The project is Guadagnino’s next film followingthe release ofChallengers, which stands as his highest-grossing movie to date, earning $50.1 million domestically and $94.2 million worldwide. Queer, which is set in the 1950s, will see Craig playing William Lee, an American expat who finds himself infatuated with a younger man named Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a student who provides Lee with a truly meaningful connection to someone. The film also stars Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, Henry Zaga, Drew Droege and Ariel Schulman.
A24 Was Always Expected to Pick up the Provocative Project
Queeris based on the William S. Burroughs novel of the same name written in the early 1950s (but not officially published until 1985). Burroughs, the legendary Beat era writer famous for works likeJunkie, Naked Lunch, andThe Soft Machine, is infamous for writing novels people generally assume are ‘unadaptable.’ David Cronenberg attempted one with his film version ofNaked Lunch, changing the subject matter to make it as much an adaptation as it was a biography of Burroughs.Queer, however, is arguably Burroughs' most straightforward novel, a small piece about a gay man’s sex-and-drug bender in Mexico City.
Given its subject, A24 was widely considered to be the studio that would eventually pick up the film, as they are now adept at promotingQueer’smore risqué subject matter. The project gained traction when it was screened for distributors through CAA Media Finance back in June, with A24 sealing the deal for distribution as the film is set to compete for the Golden Lion at the 81st Venice International Film Festival which is now underway. American audiences will see the film premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
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The movie might be considered a bit of a return to form for Guadagnino followingBones and AllandChallengers, asQueerappears to have a visual and narrative aesthetic similar to his Oscar-nominated film,Call Me By Your Name. Despite being set in Mexico City, the director shot the project in Rome, Italy, choosing to recreate the Mexican City locales in that location. The project also reunites the director with screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, who also scripted this year’sChallengers.
For Daniel Craig, this will be his next big project following wrapping up his tenure as James Bond in 2021’sNo Time to Dieand his second mystery-solving caper as Detective Benoit Blanc inGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryin 2022. The actor recently wrapped filming on thethird Benoit Blanc mystery,Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which is set for release in 2025 on Netflix.
