Luca Guadagnino wanted an "iconic" actor in the lead role for 'Queer'.

The 53-year-old filmmaker has helmed the historical romantic drama and revealed how he and his agent Bryan Lourd came up with the idea of Daniel Craig starring in the adaptation of William S. Burroughs' 1985 novel.

Luca told Variety at the Venice Film Festival: "We were chatting about who could be the incarnation (of Burroughs) and I said, 'I don't know. I think it should be someone iconic.' And he said, 'What about Daniel Craig?'

"I said, 'Well, I thought about him, but I don't know. I would never dare to ask. He goes like, 'Why? He would love that.'

"He gave the script to Daniel, and Daniel and I were on the phone a week later. Then, a week passed, and he was in the movie."

The former James Bond star has been tipped for an Oscar for his performance in the movie and Luca considers him to be "one of the great actors of his generation".

The 'Challengers' director said: "Daniel is this incredible icon that has drawn audiences all over the world and will do that forever through James Bond.

"But of course, for me, Daniel has also been George Dyer in (John Maybury's) 'Love Is the Devil', where he plays Francis Bacon's lover."

Guadagnino continued: "And of course, he is, honestly, one of the great actors of his generation: so subtle, so profound and yet so beautifully universal.

"So when he said, 'Yeah, I'm up for it, and I'm up for anything that is required for me to be doing in this movie', I really felt like: 'You know what? I'm a lucky guy.'"