Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig to Star in New Luca Guadagnino Film Queer

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig will star in the upcoming historical romance film Queer, directed by Luca Guadagnino. It is set to release later this year.

Queer was previously announced along with a cast reveal of the actors last April. Filming began that month in Rome, Italy, at the refurbished Cinecittà Studios. It wrapped in late June. The film has no official release date, however, it is assumed to come to screens later this year.

waiting for the drew starkey takeover when he stars in luca guadagnino’s Queer

— ‏ً (@miIesmoraIes) April 29, 2024

The film is a book adaptation, based on the 1985 novel Queer by author William Burroughs. It is the sequel to his first book, Junkie. Moreover, Burroughs wrote the novel between 1951 and 1953, while the plot takes place in the 1940s in Mexico City.

The story follows a man named Lee (Craig) who runs from a drug bust in New Orleans and ends up in Mexico City. He is surrounded by clubs, college students, discharged soldiers, and other members of society. Lee becomes infatuated with a younger man, Allerton (Starkey), one of the soldiers who is a drug user. Lee’s obsession grows stronger, and they take a trip to South America to find a drug he believes will make him psychic.

This will mark Starkey’s most prominent role yet. He is best known for his role as Rafe Cameron in the hit Netflix series Outer Banks. His character is an antagonist in the series, portraying an attractive yet violent rich teen. He is also Sarah Cameron’s older brother, who worked alongside his father to steal the gold from the Pogues. Starkey was recently in the romantic comedy The Other Zoey as Zach, where he starred alongside Josephine Langford and Maggie Thurmon. The Outer Banks star can also be seen in films like Hellraiser and The Devil All the Time.

i have yet to see a Luca Guadagnino film I haven’t liked pic.twitter.com/i8lAPRNFGK

— Bri (@BriAnimator_) April 27, 2024

Craig is globally known for his iconic portrayal of the fictional secret agent James Bond, starring in all five installments in the series, including his most recent, No Time to Die. He is also known for embodying Benoit Blanc in the three Knives Out films with the third one currently in production. The actor has also been nominated for multiple awards throughout his acting career.

Furthermore, actors who will join the two on-screen include Henry Zaga (The New Mutants), Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City), Lesley Manville (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), Ariel Schulman (Catfish), and more.

next iconic one will be drew starkey https://t.co/4IRPcqJGvy

— bel (@stylestarkey) April 24, 2024

Luca Guadagnino’s box-office success, Challengers received positive reviews on social media from fans after the release, some already calling Challengers the biggest film of the year. He also directed a similar film, Call Me By Your Name (2017), taking place in Italy. The film was also nominated for multiple Oscars. They all have the same summer vibe in common. So, it looks like Queer is in great hands and will follow in its footsteps of creating that perfect, cinematic story.

I just know that Drew's outfit for the premiere of "Queer" will devour. Mark my words

— clementine (@friedveggi3s) April 27, 2024

Playwright Justin Kuritzkes will reunite with Guadagnino after he penned the script of Challengers which they worked on together, and have adapted the book into a screenplay. Designer Jonathan Anderson will also join the Challengers reunion, returning as the costume designer. Italian film producer Lorenzo Mieli will join Guadagnino in producing.

Fans have been looking forward to the film’s premiere for a year now, and hopefully, we will receive more information on its release date soon.

You can buy tickets to see Guadagnino’s Challengers in theaters here, or head to Netflix and watch Starkey in Outer Banks.