Luca Guadagnino's New Film 'Queer' Is Nearly Here

How excited should you be when a movie receives an 11-minute standing ovation? Very.

Luca Guadagnino’s forthcoming film Queer, which wooed audiences at Venice Film Festival in September, will premiere in U.S. theaters on November 27. The Italian director tapped a star-studded cast, including Lesley Manville, Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, and Jason Schwartzman. The A24 movie adapts William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name.

The highly anticipated project is set in the 1940s and follows William Lee, played by Craig, who is an American expatriate living in Mexico City. Lee becomes enamored with Eugene Allerton, played by Starkey, and the story follows their romance, including their travels to partake in an ayahuasca ritual in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Similar to Guadagnino’s past works, Queer is expected to portray complex attraction and our raw, sometimes awkward romantic pursuits that reflect our complicated identities.

Guadagnino remembers reading Burroughs' novel as a 17-year-old and admiring “the profound connection that he was achingly describing on the page between these two characters… particularly Lee… the romanticism of the idea of the adventure and the adventure with someone you want and love,” according to an interview with Deadline.

The trailer dropped Tuesday, giving a first glimpse at what to expect from his latest project.

The Italian filmmaker hopes audiences walk away with questions in mind like, "who are we when we are alone, and who are we looking for? Who do we want beside us, no matter who you are?" per Deadline.

Loewe Creative Director Jonathan Anderson confirmed he led costuming for Queer, representing the next iteration of his collaboration with Guadagnino post-Challengers. In an interview for W Magazine, Anderson revealed, "I’ve never worked on a creative project [like Queer] that has changed me more, that has completely changed so many aspects of my life. I find it the most generous project to have worked on."

This style of film that Guadagnino is known for is quite different to the past roles of stars Craig and Starkey. Craig is most known for his flair in action and thrillers, from his role as James Bond to Glass Onion and Knives Out. Starkey's resume includes roles in Outer Banks and teen flicks Love, Simon and The Hate U Give.

"I’ve never had an experience like this, to really dive into one moment in a story and explore every avenue possible. I mean, I’m not a dancer. Daniel’s definitely not a dancer. But I think we learned. I think we got better together," Starkey told Deadline.

2024 has been a busy year for Guadagnino whose most recent work, Challengers, came out at the end of April, achieving virality, exploring the dynamics of a complex love triangle, and creating a cult-following around its "I Told Ya" shirt. With Guadagnino’s track record of success after success, like Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All, anticipation for Queer is high.

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