MUBI, the global distributor, streaming service and production company, has acquired Queer (based on the novel by William S. Burroughs) directed by Luca Guadagnino (Challengers, Call Me By Your Name), following its World Premiere in Competition at this year’s Venice International Film Festival and North American premiere at TIFF. MUBI has taken all rights in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Latin America, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Spain, Turkey and India and additionally all rights excluding theatrical in Italy.
This month Queer will have its US Premiere in the Spotlight Gala slot at the New York Film Festival and its UK Premiere as a Special Presentation at the BFI London Film Festival.
MUBI will announce their release plans shortly.
The film stars Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Academy-Award® nominee Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Omar Apollo, Andra Ursuta, Andres Duprat, Ariel Shulman, Drew Droege, Michael Borremans, David Lowery, Lisandro Alonso and Colin Bates.
Queer is written by Justin Kuritzkes (Challengers), with music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Challengers, The Killer, Bones and All, Mank), cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Challengers, Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria), edited by Marco Costa (Challengers, Bones and All) and costume design from J.W. Anderson (Challengers).
1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.
Queer was produced by Fremantle, Fremantle North America, Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, a Fremantle Group Company, and Luca Guadagnino for his Frenesy Film Company, in collaboration with Cinecittà and Frame by Frame. Fremantle Group financed the film. The Veterans brokered the deal with MUBI.
Recent and upcoming MUBI Releases include Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Magnus von Horn’s The Girl with the Needle, Levan Akin’s Crossing, Chris Andrews’ Bring Them Down, Mati Diop’s Dahomey, Kevin Macdonald’s High & Low – John Galliano, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex, Ira Sachs’ Passages, Pedro Almodovar’s Strange Way of Life, Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave, Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, Lukas Dhont’s Close, Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World and Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman.
For press inquiries, please contact: Ollie Charles, Director of Communications, Global – ocharles@mubi.com
ABOUT MUBI
MUBI is a global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. MUBI creates, curates, acquires and champions visionary films, bringing them to audiences all over the world.
MUBI is a place to discover ambitious films, from both iconic directors and emerging auteurs. All carefully chosen by MUBI’s curators. With MUBI GO, members in select countries can get a free ticket every week to see the best new films in cinemas. And Notebook explores all sides of cinema culture — both in print and online.
Some recent and upcoming MUBI Releases include: Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Ira Sachs’ Passages, Pedro Almodóvar’s Strange Way of Life, Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, Kevin Macdonald’s documentary High & Low — John Galliano, Rodrigo Moreno’s The Delinquents, Felipe Gálvez’s The Settlers, Aftersun from Charlotte Wells, Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave, Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, Lukas Dhont’s Close, and Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman.
MUBI Productions include Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind starring Josh O’Connor, Christopher Andrews‘ Bring Them Down starring Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan, Elizabeth Sankey’s Witches, Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’ Gasoline Rainbow, and Zia Anger’s My First Film starring Odessa Young and Devon Ross. MUBI Co-productions include Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother starring Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat, Mia Hansen-Løve’s next feature If Love Should Die, Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning starring Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Elena Anaya, Tracy Letts, Elle Fanning and Pamela Anderson, Michel Franco’s Memory, and Mia Hansen-Løve’s One Fine Morning.
Founded in 2007 by Efe Cakarel, MUBI is the biggest community of film lovers, anywhere. Available across 190 countries, with more than 16 million members around the world. MUBI acquired renowned sales agent and production company The Match Factory and Match Factory Productions in January 2022, and a majority stake in leading Benelux film distributor Cinéart in February 2024.
ABOUT FREMANTLE
Fremantle is a leading global creator, producer and distributor of some of the world’s most successful content across Entertainment, Drama & Film, and Documentaries.
Amplifying local stories on a global scale, Fremantle produces and delivers premium, multi-genre IP across the 27 territories it operates in. Fremantle is a proudly independent group of content creators, and home to some of the biggest entertainment formats, compelling international dramas, award-winning films and high-quality documentaries.
From Got Talent to Neighbours, Password to Poor Things, Fellow Travelers to Queens, Too Hot To Handle to Big Mood, Maxton Hall to Idols, and Priscilla to House of Kardashian, our focus is simple – Fremantle creates and delivers irresistible entertainment.
Fremantle also represents world-leading digital and branded entertainment, with more than 495 million fans and 300 billion views for its standout content across all platforms.
Fremantle is part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, streaming, content and digital, itself a division of the international media, services, and education company Bertelsmann.
For more information, please visit www.fremantle.com, follow Fremantle on Twitter @FremantleHQ and Instagram @fremantle or visit Fremantle’s LinkedIn page.
ABOUT THE APARTMENT
The Apartment is a company founded in 2020 within the Fremantle group. The company focuses on the creation and development of global scale TV series and feature films by investing in IP acquisition, exclusive deals with international level talent and writers.
The Apartment, among other, produced Academy Award Nominated film The Hand of God by Paolo Sorrentino, Exterior Night by Marco Bellocchio, Bones and All by Luca Guadagnino, Priscilla by Sofia Coppola, Parthenope by Paolo Sorrentino, Maria by Pablo Larraín, Queer by Luca Guadagnino and, with Wildside, acclaimed series such as The New Pope by Paolo Sorrentino, My Brilliant Friend – Story of the new name by Saverio Costanzo, We are who we are by Luca Guadagnino, My Brilliant Friend – Story of the Lost Child by Laura Bispuri, M- the son of the century by Joe Wright. Currently in production are The Kidnapping of Arabella, the second feature film by Carolina Cavalli, and Rosebush Pruning by Karim Aïnouz, the remake of I pugni in tasca by Marco Bellocchio, while Fuori, the latest feature film by Mario Martone, is now in post-production. Annamaria Morelli is the CEO of The Apartment.
ABOUT THE VETERANS
Powerhouse sales “The Veterans” Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox first partnered in 2016 as a joint venture with Marc Butan’s MadRiver Pictures. The Santa Monica-based banner serves as a sales agent on mid- and larger-budgeted films for the international theatrical and streaming marketplace. Recent titles include Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, which won the Jury Prize and (ensemble) Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival and will represent France at the Oscars; Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, starring Mariana Lima, which won Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival and will represent Brazil at the Oscars and Queer by Luca Guadagnino, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.