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Gregg Araki is finally back behind the camera with Charli xcx and Olivia Wilde
After stepping away from film to focus on TV shows, renowned American underground director Gregg Araki presented his latest feature, I Want Your Sex, at Sundance in January 2026. Olivia Wilde and Charli xcx are part of the cast of this anticipated project, scheduled for release in US theatres next July.
By Violaine Schütz.
Published on 28 January 2026. Updated on 27 May 2026.
American director Gregg Araki, 66, has cemented his status as a cult figure of independent and queer cinema. His filmography includes Totally F**ed Up* (1993), The Doom Generation (1995), and Nowhere (1997). The feature Kaboom (2010) won the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. His most acclaimed film to date remains the heartbreaking Mysterious Skin (2005), starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brady Corbet, and Michelle Trachtenberg.
Known for his gritty tone and bold, vibrant visuals, Gregg Araki explores the notions of violence, sexuality, and adolescence. He has previously worked with brilliant actors, including Rose McGowan, Parker Posey, Ryan Phillippe, Chiara Mastroianni, Shannen Doherty, Christina Applegate, Angela Bassett, and Heather Graham.
Gregg Araki, a cult filmmaker of queer independent cinema
In recent years, however, Gregg Araki has mostly focused on the small screen. He created the show Now Apocalypse (2019) starring Roxane Mesquida and directed some episodes of 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020), Greenleaf (2016–2020), Riverdale (2017–2023), American Crime (2015–2017), Red Oaks (2015–2017), and American Gigolo (2022).
His last feature film dates back to 2014. The unsettling White Bird, starring the brilliant Shailene Woodley (Divergent), Eva Green, and Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).
I Want Your Sex, an erotic film starring Charli XCX and Olivia Wilde
The screening of Gregg Araki’s film I Want Your Sex at Sundance in January 2026 is a true event. The premise of this provocative comedy shot in Los Angeles? “When fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse.” But the adventure quickly turns into a nightmare involving sex, power, lies, and murder. According to Variety, the film raises the question of how far one can go.
Once again, Gregg Araki gathers an unexpected, yet stellar cast. Among the actors involved are Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies Bodies Bodies), and singer Charli xcx. Co-written with columnist and sex specialist Karley Sciortino, I Want Your Sex has already released a promising first image.
A provocative project
This erotic comedy is said to be inspired by Steven Shainberg’s fascinating film Secretary, exploring an S&M relationship between James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal. As is often the case with Gregg Araki, I Want Your Sex is expected to dive into desire, domination, and fantasy, while debunking patriarchal dynamics.
Initial reviews from journalists who saw the film at Sundance praised its boldness. Some of them described it as a quirky indie take on Fifty Shades of Grey. “In an indie landscape with an insatiable appetite for trauma and misery, it’s a breath of fresh air, a fun time that’s also a witty commentary on shifting sexual mores,” The Hollywood Reporter wrote.
I Want Your Sex by Gregg Araki, coming out in US theatres on July 31st, 2026.
