Wait, did he really say that?
He did, and Luca Guadagnino doesn't care. The director opened up to a packed room of journalists on Tuesday afternoon, who devoured every word, at the press conference for his new film Queer.
The steamy film will have its world premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival on Tuesday night, with stars Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville and Omar Apollo joining the Italian director to kick off his latest venture.
An American ex-pat in his fifties, William is isolated in Mexico City. Addicted to opiates and alcohol, and with a penchant for younger men, Starkey’s Eugene Allerton sends William into a tailspin. As Craig’s character becomes increasingly infatuated, Eugene agrees to go on a road trip with him. It’s hot, of course (it is Luca Guadagnino, after all) and includes a couple of pretty explicit sex scenes.
When asked about the film's addiction theme, Guadagnino got personal. “I'm a gentleman who goes to sleep very early, I've never taken drugs in my life, I've never smoked a cigarette, I went on a diet and I lost 30 pounds,” he revealed. “So I'm pretty strict about my addictions. I can count on two hands the lovers I've had in my life.”
She continued: “That said, let's be honest today. I think I like the idea of seeing people and not judging them, of making sure that even the worst person is the one you identify with.”
Things got into dicey territory when the director was asked about casting Craig, known around the world as the most recent incarnation of James Bond, in Queerand whether Ian Fleming's character could ever be a gay man. Guadagnino took the opportunity to turn the moment into a eulogy for the British actor.
“Guys, let's get into a grown-up position in the room for a second,” he said. “There's no way around the fact that no one will ever know what James Bond wants, period. 'The important thing is that he does his missions properly. That said, I've been an admirer of this gentleman for a long time. … I had this intuition that I stifled inside myself because I'm pragmatic. You have to make movies; you can't daydream. A gentleman who was in the [casting] room was really the one who wasn't pragmatic and said, 'What about Daniel Craig?' And I said, 'I've thought about it, but he'll never say yes.' And he said, 'Let's ask him.' And he said yes. And yes was a definite yes, he's one of the greatest actors. It's a privilege to work with someone like him.”
“The reason I did the movie is because of this great man here. I've wanted to work with him for a long time,” he added. “We met 20 years ago and said maybe we should work together. And we ended up doing it, which is just a wonderful thing.”
Queer is based on the novel written by William S. Burroughs, which the Italian considered ripe for very elaborate cinematic material. “Who are we when we are alone and who are we looking for?” Guadagnino asked. “Who do we want next to us, no matter who you are? Are you a heroin addict living in Mexico City? Who are you when you are alone in that bed and you find yourself with the feeling of what you felt for someone else?”
A24 has acquired the U.S. distribution rights for Queer days before its world premiere in Venice. The independent studio plans to release it before the end of the year. The film was produced by Fremantle, Fremantle North America, Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment and Luca Guadagnino for his Frenesy Film Company, in association with Cinecittà and Frame by Frame.