'Queer's Final Trailer Promises a Daniel Craig Tour-de-Force

Daniel Craig initially rose to prominence as Joe Pitt in the 1993 National Theater production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America, the most seminal theatrical work of the last fifty years. While his career has gone in other directions since, including a 15-year stint playing the lead in the James Bond franchise, Craig has never stopped taking on roles that elevate LGBTQ+ stories (though he has refused to allow the media to treat him like a spokesperson for the community). As he recently said in an interview about his role in Queer, it was these kinds of parts that made him want to be an actor in the first place.

Craig plays "William Lee" in the new film, a (very thinly) disguised fictionalized version of author William S. Boroughs, who wrote the novella in 1985. The project was driven by the director, Luca Guadagnino, best known for films like Call Me By Your Name and the recent spicy hit Challengers, who had wanted to adapt the story to film since he first read it as a teenager. The project has been in the works since 2022 and was one of the most highly anticipated films of 2024 when it debuts on the film festival circuit.

However, festival films aren't always the kind that gets a wide release in the States, especially around awards season. But A24, which scooped up the rights to the film, believes it had a winning film that will bring out those looking for romantic films and has announced the film will arrive for everyone in mid-December. 

Here's the film's synopsis:

Set in 1950s Mexico City, Queer follows William Lee, an American ex-pat in his late forties, 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.

Craig and Starkey co-star alongside Lesley Manville (Moonflower Murders), Jason Schwartzman (Megalopolis), Ariel Schulman (Family Tree), Henry Zaga (The Stand), Drew Droege (Your Honor), David Lowery (A Ghost Story), plus artists Michael Borremann and Andra Ursuța in their debut on-screen roles.

The film was written for the screen by Justin Kuritzkes (Challengers) and adapted from the novel of the same name by legendary American writer William S. Burroughs. Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) directs.

Queer will arrive in limited release in the U.S. on Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, November 27, 2024, and will expand into wide release on Friday, December 13, 2024.