Is this a dream come true for cinephiles? Deadline reports that French actress Léa Seydoux has officially joined the cast of Luca Guadagnino‘s upcoming queer romance “Separate Rooms.” It’ll be the first time the actress and the Italian director work together, although Seydoux’s role in the film remains unknown currently.
News broke about “Separate Rooms” last week, which sees “Challengers” actor Josh O’Connor reunite with Guadagnino. Based on Italian novelist Pier Vittorio Tondelli‘s 1989 novel of the same name, O’Connor stars Leo, a writer mourning the loss of his boyfriend who starts a passionate romance with a shy German musician. Tondelli’s novel has a non-chronological element, but it’s unclear as of now if Guada’s film will follow suit.
Here’s a brief synopsis of Tonelli’s novel, courtesy of Amazon:
Leo is an Italian writer in his 30s. Thomas, his German lover, is dead. On a plane to Munich, Thomas’ hometown, Leo slips into a reverie of their meeting and life in Paris, nights in Thomas’ flat in Montmartre, and a desperate, drug-induced flight through the forests of northern France. Tondelli’s last book is a powerful novel about the strength of love and the trauma of death.
“Separate Rooms” also marks a reunion between Guada and Italian producer Lorenzo Mieli. Mieli also worked with the director on his HBO series “We Are Who We Are” and his 2022 cannibal romance “Bones And All.” It’s worth noting that “Separate” rooms is technically the third time O’Connor and Guada work together too; along with “Challengers,” O’Connor also made a short film for Aston Martin with the director.
Seydoux adds “Separate Rooms” to a list of upcoming films that also includes Quentin Dupieux‘s “À notre beau métier,” in post-production now. The actress also recently starred in “Dune: Part Two” and Bertrand Bonello‘s “The Beast,” which hits US theaters tomorrow.
With “Separate Rooms,” Guada has three upcoming films in the pipeline, including the long-awaited “Challengers.” The tennis romance finally hits theaters on April 26 courtesy of Amazon MGM, while “Queer,” his William S. Burroughs adaptation starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, is a likely lock for the Venice Film Festival. And at the rate the director has worked in recent years, he could have “Separate Rooms” ready for audiences sometime in 2025. That’s good news for Guada fans.
