Overview
- This week the film’s first teaser and poster began circulating widely, with trade coverage highlighting explicit BDSM imagery including ball gags, whips and strap-ons.
- Magnolia Pictures acquired U.S. rights in a competitive sale reported to be worth seven figures and has scheduled the theatrical release for July 31, 2026.
- The story centers on Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) becoming the sexual muse to artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde) and being drawn into sex, obsession, power dynamics and a murder subplot.
- Director Gregg Araki returned to features after roughly 12 years and said he revised the screenplay during development to reflect #MeToo concerns and to foreground a Gen Z angle about changing sexual norms.
- The film pairs Araki’s transgressive, queer-inflected style with a stacked ensemble that includes Charli XCX, Daveed Diggs, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Johnny Knoxville and Margaret Cho, positioning it as both an auteur indie and a widely marketed R-rated release.