VENICE, Italy (AP) 鈥� regular Luca Guadagnino is back on the Lido to debut his new Daniel Craig film 鈥淨ueer鈥� on Tuesday night.
A festival favorite, Guadagnino had to forgo a splashy red carpet premiere for the last year, when the studio delayed its release amid the actors strike. But the filmmaker is returning with another highly anticipated project, adapting a William S. Burroughs novel about an American expat in Mexico City in 1950 who develops an obsession with a young, male student.
鈥淐hallengers鈥� screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes wrote the script for 鈥淨ueer,鈥� adapting a novel that was written in the 1950s but not published until 1985. It鈥檚 a story that others have tried to adapt over the years, including Steve Buscemi and Oren Moverman.
鈥溾�楬ow can a man who sees and feels be other than sad?鈥� William Burroughs asks in the last entry of his personal diary before his death,鈥� Guadagnino wrote in his director's statement. 鈥淚n adapting his second novel, published almost 40 years after he wrote it, we have tried to respond to this humble appeal of the great iconoclast of the beat generation.鈥�
Craig, in a performance Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera has called 鈥渃areer defining鈥� stars alongside Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville and Jason Schwartzman in the film, which is playing in the main competition. A24 also recently acquired 鈥淨ueer鈥� for theatrical distribution.
The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival has entered its final week, with the premiere of 鈥淛oker: Folie 脿 Deux鈥� still to come on Wednesday. There have been many movie star moments, with the likes of Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and Michael Keaton all having already graced the red carpet outside the Sala Grande theater. Though no clear favorite has emerged, the films have inspired hearty debate and discussions: ; the authenticity of ; the ; what we really want out of a reunion; and whether or not Alfonso Cuar贸n鈥檚 seven-part Apple TV+ miniseries, which is not in competition, can reasonably be considered the best film of the festival.
Awards will be presented on the final day of the festival, Sept. 7.
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
