Daniel Craig Is Yearning for Drew Starkey in First Queer Trailer

Three-time BAFTA-nominated director Luca Guadagnino is back with the debut trailer for his latest project, Queer. Teaming up with the iconic indie studio, A24, the helmer embarks on his latest deep-dive into queer culture with a movie starring Daniel Craig (the Knives Out franchise) and Drew Starkey (Outer Banks). This time, audiences will be transported back to Mexico City in the 1950s, where they’ll meet Craig’s William Lee, an ex-pat who, up until recently, has been more than happy with the solo life he’s nestled into. All that changes when a young man named Eugene Allerton (Starkey) blows into town and shakes things up for William, giving the man of solitude someone who can keep up with his conversations and dreams.

Right off the bat, the trailer for Queer has Guadagnino’s visionary stamp all over it. A dream-like opening sequence sees a very well-dressed William (Craig) strolling down the street while neighborhood men throw dice on the corner. Looking over the crowd, a young man catches William’s eye, and the older man immediately shoots his shot, doing a little dance to present himself after the pair end up at the same bar. Although he’s at first shot down, William’s eccentric and awkward personality soon begins to grow on Eugene, who eventually returns the older man’s interest. As the fantastical tale of their budding love plays out, a very soft cover of Nirvana’s “All Apologies” underscores the two men’s life-changing romance.

Pulled from the pages of William S. Burroughs’ novel of the same name, Queer was adapted for the screen by Justin Kuritzkes, who previously worked alongside the Academy Award-nominated director in his tennis-centered romantic feature, Challengers. Along with Craig, the movie features a stacked cast that includes the likes of Lesley Manville (The Crown), Jason Schwartzman (The Darjeeling Limited), Henrique Zaga (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), and Grammy Award-nominated singer, Omar Apollo. Along with helming the title, Guadagnino also serves as producer alongside Lorenzo Mieli, another returning collaborator who previously stood behind both Challengers and Bones and All.

While he’s been a force to be reckoned with in the film community for well over two decades, it was with his 2017 coming-of-age feature, Call Me by Your Name, that Guadagnino caught the attention of a broader audience. Featuring performances from Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, the movie tells the story of a 17-year-old boy who is pursued by a 24-year-old man. The movie is a storm of forbidden love and the pair’s struggle to accept their true identities as gay men — something that Guadagnino dives into in plenty of other projects, with the most recent one being the Zendaya-led Challengers. With Queer, the filmmaker goes back to his roots and tells yet another age-gap love story — albeit with two consenting adults this time around.

Check out the trailer for Queer above and see it when it arrives in cinemas on November 27.

Set in 1940s Mexico City, it follows an American expat named Lee (played by Daniel Craig) who becomes infatuated with a younger man, Eugene Allerton (played by Drew Starkey). The film explores themes of longing, isolation, and obsession.

Release Date October 6, 2024

Runtime 135 Minutes

Main Genre Drama

Writers William S. Burroughs , Justin Kuritzkes