Few filmmakers today create movies as sensual—or as sensuous—as Luca Guadagnino. From the sun-drenched romance of Call Me By Your Name to the visceral intensity of Bones And All and the tantalizing threesome at the heart of this year’s Challengers, the Italian director has been redefining cinematic allure long before discussions about sex in film became commonplace.
His latest project, a much-anticipated adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novel Queer, stars Daniel Craig as a passionate American expatriate who becomes infatuated with a young man (Drew Starkey) in 1950s Mexico City. This film could be Guadagnino’s most intense work yet.
For Daniel Craig, who first encountered Guadagnino nearly two decades ago, just before the James Bond series propelled him to international fame, the chance to collaborate with the director of Suspiria on a project as emotionally charged as Queer was an opportunity not to be missed.
“It’s a love story,” Craig explains in an exclusive interview with Empire. “It explores lust and desire, those primal emotions that everyone experiences. I saw potential in this project.”
At the core of this exploration is the relationship between Craig’s character, William Lee, and Eugene Allerton (Starkey). This connection, both physical and spiritual, was developed through an unconventional medium: dance. “Neither Drew nor I are dancers,” Craig admits with a laugh. “But using dance as a starting point during rehearsals, moving together, that’s where the chemistry began. I hope audiences see something special in their interaction.”
From espionage to dance, is there anything Daniel Craig can’t master?
Read our comprehensive feature on Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, featuring interviews with Guadagnino, Daniel Craig, and Drew Starkey, in Empire’s Ultimate 2025 Preview, available on Thursday, November 21. Pre-order your copy online now. Queer hits UK and Irish cinemas on December 13.
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