In another major sale just as the Venice Film Festival is getting underway, A24 has landed the U.S. distribution rights to “Queer,” the new film from Luca Guadagnino that stars Daniel Craig, ahead of its world premiere.
A24 intends to release “Queer” in theaters this year as part of a likely awards run. It will also play at TIFF and NYFF later this fall. No theatrical release date has been set.
Guadagnino re-teamed with “Challengers” screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes on the film in adapting the William S. Burroughs book of the same name.
“Queer” stars Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Andra Ursuta, Michael Borremans, and David Lowery.
The film is set in 1950s Mexico City and follows William Lee, an American ex-pat in his late 40s, as he leads a solitary life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival in town of Eugene Allerton, a young student, stirs William into finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone.
“Queer” was produced by Fremantle, Fremantle North America, Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, a Fremantle Group Company, and Luca Guadagnino for his Frenesy Film Company, in collaboration with Cinecitta and Frame by Frame. Fremantle Group financed the film.
Earlier today Fremantle sold the U.S. rights to another title playing in competition at Venice just a day before its world premiere, Pablo Larraín’s “Maria” starring Angelina Jolie, which landed at Netflix.
“’Queer’ is a labor of love, and we could not be more excited that our film has found a home with a studio as daring, vital, and trail-blazing as A24,” Guadagnino and Craig said in a joint statement. “It is our deep honor to finally bring Burroughs’ legendary novel to life on screen for the first time, and we feel immense gratitude and excitement to be able to present it alongside our treasured collaborators. We could not ask for better partners on this journey.”
Andrea Scrosati, Group COO & CEO Continental Europe, Fremantle, added, “We are thrilled that ‘Queer, a true milestone in filmmaking and storytelling, will get its US release from A24. A24 is the perfect partner for Luca Guadagnino’s beautiful and tender film, and we are all looking forward to working with their brilliant team again.”
Guadagnino was supposed to be at Venice last year for “Challengers” before the film was pushed back by Amazon MGM because of the actors strike. In 2022 he won the Silver Lion Best Director prize for “Bones & All.” “Challengers” has made $94.2 million at the worldwide box office and figures to be another major awards contender, giving Guadagnino two films that could theoretically be in the Oscars race.
CAA Media Finance brokered the deal for “Queer.”