Queer, an upcoming film by director Luca Guadagnino, and a film he has wanted to make for some time, has finally come to fruition. After debuting at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, Guadagnino discussed his experiences making this film, the adaptation process, and the casting of former James Bond actor Daniel Craig. In an interview with Variety, Guadagnino spoke about how the casting of Craig came to be, with the filmmaker initially thinking that the actor would not be interested in playing main character, William Lee. Thankfully, Guadagnino’s agent Bryan Lourd knew Craig would be on board.
“Once Justin wrote the script, I spoke to my agent, the great Bryan Lourd, and I gave it to him. And Bryan, who knew the book by heart, was really so sharp in understanding what we were trying to do. And we were chatting about who could be the incarnation [of Burroughs] and I said, “I don’t know. I think it should be someone iconic.” And he said, “What about Daniel Craig?” I said, “Well, I thought about him, but I don’t know. I would never dare to ask.” He goes like, “Why? He would love that.” And I said “Wow! Would you give it to him?” He said, “Sure.” He gave the script to Daniel, and Daniel and I were on the phone a week later. Then, a week passed, and he was in the movie.”
Guadagnino went on to praise Craig for his iconic portrayal of James Bond, a role that made him a household name, and drew audiences from all over the world to him. But, to the filmmaker, Craig is so much more than 007, with Guadagnino feeling very lucky to have him be part of Queer and calling him “one of the great actors of his generation.”
“Daniel is this incredible icon that has drawn audiences all over the world and will do that forever through James Bond. But of course, for me, Daniel has also been George Dyer in [John Maybury’s] “Love Is the Devil,” where he plays Francis Bacon’s lover. And of course, he is, honestly, one of the great actors of his generation: so subtle, so profound and yet so beautifully universal. So when he said, “Yeah, I’m up for it, and I’m up for anything that is required for me to be doing in this movie,” I really felt like: “You know what? I’m a lucky guy.””
Queer Has Now Been Picked up for Distribution in the U.S. by A24
Set in the 1950s, Queer follows William Lee (Craig), an outcast American expat who lives in Mexico, and Drew Starkey (Outer Banks) as Eugene Allerton, a young man with whom he becomes madly infatuated. The film is based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, whose notable alter ego is that of Craig’s character William Lee. The novella was famously “unfinished,” with writer Justin Kuritzkes and Guadagnino aiming to finish the story in a way Burroughs would have wanted.
Guadagnino described the adaptation process as seeing the book as less of an unrequited love story between two men, and more that “there was something in this book that was more about the idea of connection and disconnection and, more importantly, repression and compression.” He added that both him and Kuritzkes love the idea of making people connect and be entertained by what they are seeing.
“So for us, the idea that this could become not only a great love story, but possibly the ultimate love story — and a very universal one — was irresistible. What is irresistible is the idea that you take Burroughs, and you make him universal.”