The actor stars in Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of a book by William S. Burroughs, playing an American in 1950s Mexico City who becomes besotted with a younger man.

Still, the salty scent of sweat and the weight of unspoken yearning lingers in the atmosphere, waiting for a wholly committed Daniel Craig to saunter into the frame in a white linen suit to pick up where “Challengers” left off.

Guadagnino, convinced Craig was right for the role, approached the actor with the script. In Craig, Guadagnino saw someone, he says, who was “open to play.” Within days, Craig, long an admirer of Guadagnino’s films, was in.

Daniel Craig may have said a definitive goodbye to Ian Fleming's iconic secret agent, but the character he plays in his latest film turns out to have quite a few interests in common with James Bond including exotic foreign travel, hard liquor, guns and casual sex. That said, Craig's new role will be quite an eye-opener for fans of his 007.

The director detailed his ambitions around the William S. Burroughs novella while the actor known for playing James Bond praised the daring script.

Mounting a risqué novella by William Burroughs, filmmaker Luca Guadagnino finds an expressive way forward for the former James Bond, who finds a new register.

One of the first real signs that “Queer” is going to be an unconventional movie is when Daniel Craig in a linen suit saunters through Mexico City during the early ’50s and the soundtrack blasts a song by Nirvana.

One of the first real signs that “Queer” is going to be an unconventional movie is when Daniel Craig in a linen suit saunters through Mexico City during the early ’50s and the soundtrack blasts a song by Nirvana.