Luca Guadagnino
Director of Queer, a period drama set in 1950s Mexico City and Ecuador starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey.
Harald Krichel · via Wikipedia: Luca Guadagnino · CC BY-SA 4.0
Luca Guadagnino directed the 2024 period romantic drama Queer, adapting Justin Kuritzkes' screenplay from William S. Burroughs' 1985 novella. The director first read the book at age 17 and began development in April 2022 while on set for Challengers. He secured the rights with producer Lorenzo Mieli after a call with James Grauerholz, the literary executor of Burroughs' estate. Principal photography commenced in Rome on April 29, 2023, at Cinecittà Studios, with additional scenes filmed in Quito, Ecuador. Production wrapped on June 29, 2023. The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2024, where it competed for the Golden Lion before its US release by A24.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 10 August 1971
- Birthplace
- Palermo, Italy
- Education
- Sapienza University of Rome
- Occupation
- Film director
- film producer
- screenwriter
- Years active
- 1997–present
- Partner
- Ferdinando Cito Filomarino (2009–2020)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Guadagnino described Queer as his most personal film and a tribute to the films of Powell and Pressburger, specifically citing The Red Shoes (1948). He noted that he believes they would appreciate the numerous and scandalous sex scenes in the project. To adapt the unfinished novella, Guadagnino and Kuritzkes consulted Burroughs' scholar Oliver Harris to craft a fitting ending while maintaining the author's vision. The film follows an outcast American expatriate named William Lee who becomes infatuated with a younger man, Eugene Allerton. Their journey takes them from Mexico City to the Ecuadorian jungle in search of yagé, a plant said to offer telepathic abilities. Along the way, Lee struggles with drug dependency and Allerton maintains an emotional distance, claiming he is 'disembodied' rather than queer.
Reader's Guide
The original cut submitted to the Venice Film Festival ran between 185 to 200 minutes before Guadagnino reduced it to a final length of 135 minutes. Costume design was handled by Jonathan Anderson, marking his second collaboration with the director after Challengers. The score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, their third partnership with Guadagnino following Bones and All (2022) and Challengers (2024). The soundtrack features tracks by Nirvana, Prince, New Order, and jazz musicians like Charlie Parker. A24 acquired US distribution rights in September 2024, releasing the film on November 27 with a nationwide rollout on December 13. Mubi secured rights for multiple regions but faced challenges when Turkey banned the film, forcing them to cancel a festival opening. The film earned $7,020,863 worldwide against a budget of €48 million.
Did You Know?
- Director John Waters ranked Queer second on his list of favorite movies of 2024.
- The soundtrack includes a track featuring lyrics from Burroughs' final diary entry.
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