Omar Apollo joins Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer
"Wow hot ass cast," Omar has said
Omar Apollo has confirmed he’s starring in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Queer alongside Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey.
The singer, 27, shared a post on his Instagram on Tuesday (23 July). In the caption he wrote: “1st movie with Luca, wow hot ass cast.” The film focuses on William Lee (Craig) who becomes obsessed with a younger man (Starkey) in Mexico City.
Adapted from William S. Burroughs’ 1985 novella Naked Lunch the film has been written by Challengers‘ screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes. It’s set to debut at the 2024 Venice Film Festival later this year.
It follows rumours of the ‘Spite’ singer’s involvement in the film. As recently as June, Apollo downplayed such rumours he would score the film or make his acting debut. He recently told Variety, “No comment.” Speaking of Guadagnino though, the singer said “I love the pacing of his films.” He also said: “Challengers was like a slow but giant dopamine release… There’s something beautiful about how [Guadagnino] builds up to the big moments. It’s a plus that Josh O’Connor is so hot.” Apollo’s role is unknown at this point but IndieWire has reported it being a “top-billed role.”
Speaking to Variety recently, Alberto Barbera, the artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, commented on the film’s “explicit” sex scenes. He told the publication, “The fact that Daniel Craig lent himself to a couple of very explicit erotic sequences is a sign of great courage in an era in which these behaviors are still rejected by a significant part of the audience.”
Barbera also said Craig’s performance was one of two memorable male acting roles in the festival’s lineup. The other was Joaquin Phoneix in Joker: Folie à Deux. “They are absolutely memorable performances and I would be surprised if they didn’t end up competing for the highest recognition both in Venice and at the Oscars.”
Guadagnino has previously spoken about the film’s sex scenes, describing them as “numerous” and “scandalous.” He added: “I am passionate about observing the bodies in space, the details of a nape of a neck. When I choose my actors, I don’t care that they are good at acting, I look for a three-dimensionality that can be captured with the camera.”
The Challengers and Call Me By Your Name director is also working on another gay romance story. It’s an adaptation of Pier Vittorio Tondelli’s 1989 novel Separate Rooms possibly starring Josh O’Connor.