Omar Apollo is adding ‘actor’ to his resume in a film so queer, the title says it all. The Grammy nominated singer recently announced his casting in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Queer.

Apollo will join stars Daniel Craig and Outer Banks’ Drew Starkey in an unspecified role. Responding to a news post announcing the casting, Apollo commented, “First movie with Luca, wow hot ass cast.” In an Instagram story, he characterized Guadagnino as his “favorite director.”

Queer is based on the 1985 William S Burroughs semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. Set in the 1940s in Mexico City, it follows American expat Lee (Craig) who has fled New Orleans after a drug bust. Once in Mexico, he falls into a life of clubbing and drug abuse, ultimately becoming infatuated with Allerton (Starkey), a younger discharged Navy serviceman.

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In an interview with Italian language magazine Cinecittà News, Guadagnino described Queer as his “most personal film.” After first discovering the novel at 17, adapting it has been a lifelong dream. He also considers his film an homage to Powell and Pressburger’s 1940s classic The Red Shoes. “I think [those directors] would appreciate the sex scenes in Queer, which are numerous and quite scandalous,” he said.

In addition to a first-time collaboration with Apollo, Queer represents a continuation of Guadagnino’s more recent partnerships. The director reunited with screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes on the script and Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, both of whom worked on Challengers.

Apollo and Guadagnino were recently grouped under the Loewe brand at the Met Gala earlier this year.

But production on Queer wrapped long before that. Filming took place between April and June of last year, and as of June 2024, post-production was reportedly nearing completion. Queer is due to premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, which starts on August 28 and ends on September 7.

Queer is not the only queer film Guadagnino has in the works. He plans to adapt the novel Separate Rooms by Italian author Pier Vittorio Tondelli, with Josh O’Connor in talks for the lead role.

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