Daniel Craig’s gay drama Queer will be released in the UK by Mubi

Art house distributor and streaming service Mubi has acquired the UK rights to Call Me by Your Name director Luca Guadagnino‘s upcoming gay drama Queer, according to a report by Variety.

The film, which is based on the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs, had its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September, where it was met with positive reviews, with the Guardian calling it “horny and mesmeric”.

Set in 1940s Mexico City, Queer follows William Lee, played by Daniel Craig, an American ex-pat and World War II veteran living in 1950s Mexico City who begins a romance with a younger man and drug user named Eugene Allerton, played by Love, Simon star Drew Starkey.

The film also stars Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville and Attitude‘s September/October issue cover star, Omar Apollo. It will be distributed by A24 in the US.

In a statement delivered after the film was picked up in the US, Craig and Guadagnino said: “It is our deep honour 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.”

Following the film’s premiere, a short clip teasing the film was shared online. Watch it below:

The film has already picked up some famous fans, including the actor Andrew Garfield.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Garfield said that while he hadn’t seen the full film, he had seen one explicit scene at the behest of Guadagnino.

“He’s only shown me one blowjob scene, which I thought was so genuinely beautiful, like it was such a beautiful love scene between Daniel and Drew, and it’s just so tender and full of longing,” Garfield said. “And obviously, graphic in certain ways.”

Meanwhile, Queer will receive its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. A wider release date has yet to be announced by Mubi.