Luca Guadagnino is revving up his next production: an adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ controversial classic novel, “Queer”.
It looks as though Guadagnino's film will start production in Rome from April to July, according to its Casting Director. Then, in August, his already-completed “Challengers” gets released theatrically.
Burroughs‘ work was written as a quasi-sequel to his semi-autobiographical 1953 novel “Junkie.” Its homosexual themes were deemed too controversial at the time for readers, and it went unpublished until 1985.
“Queer” is rumored to star Daniel Craig and Frances McDormand. The source material is loosely inspired by Burroughs’ own life, and his time spent in Mexico, surviving on the subsidies handed out by the US government following World War II, not to mention his struggles and dependence on heroin.
McDormand is very picky in choosing her roles. She produced “Women Talking” and appears very briefly in the film. Lately, she’s been on a roll though, appearing in “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” “The French Dispatch” and “Nomadland.”
Guadagnino has been very busy of late. As mentioned, he has already completed “Challengers” which is set for release this summer. His Audrey Hepburn biopic could also be shooting this year. Then there’s the “Scarface” remake which has a screenplay penned by the Coen Brothers. Guadagnino has also mentioned a “Call Me By Your Name” being in the works.