QUEER - From the left Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey - picture © Yannis Drakoulidis

Source: Yannis Drakoulidis

‘Queer’

Mubi has secured a multi-territory deal for Luca Guadagnino’s Venice title Queer.

The distributor has acquired all rights on the film for UK-Ireland, Canada, Latin America, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Spain, Turkey and India; and has all rights excluding theatrical in Italy, where Lucky Red is releasing in cinemas.

Mubi’s release plans will be announced shortly. The deal was struck with sales agent The Veterans.

The film will have its US premiere as the Spotlight Gala at New York Film Festival this month, followed by its UK premiere as a Special Presentation at BFI London Film Festival.

Queer debuted in Competition at Venice Film Festival last month. Adapted by Challengers writer Justin Kuritzkes from William S. Burroughs’ novel, the film follows an American expat in Mexico City in the 1950s, who becomes infatuated with a fellow expat and forms an intimate connection for the first time.

Daniel Craig stars in the film alongside Drew Starkey, with further cast including Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville and David Lowery.

The film was produced by Guadagnino for Frenesy Film Company and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, and is a production from Fremantle and Fremantle North America, in collaboration with Cinecitta and Frame by Frame. Fremantle Group, which owns The Apartment, financed the film.

A24 landed US rights to Queer shortly before its Venice premiere; and will start rolling out the film there from November 27.

The film joins a Mubi slate that includes Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Magnus von Horn’s The Girl With The Needle, Chris Andrews’ Bring Them Down and Mati Diop’s Dahomey; with Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance crossing £1.5m at the UK-Ireland box office for Mubi this week.