Full Breakdown
Gregg Araki's "I Want Your Sex" to Open Theaters July 31
6/11/2026, 3:50:08 AM
Film Overview and Release
Gregg Araki’s film *I Want Your Sex* follows a young assistant, Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), who becomes the sexual muse of provocative artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde). The film premiered at Sundance 2026 and will open nationwide on July 31, 2026, via Magnolia Pictures and its Magnet Releasing label.
Araki’s Return to Feature Filmmaking
Araki, a 1990s queer-cinema pioneer, directed the “Teen Apocalypse Trilogy” (*Totally F***ed Up*, *The Doom Generation*, *Nowhere*) before TV work on *Riverdale* and *13 Reasons Why*. After the 2014 drama *White Bird in a Blizzard*, *I Want Your Sex* is his first narrative feature in over a decade.
Cast and Creative Team
The cast includes Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Charli XCX, Mason Gooding, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, Daveed Diggs and Roxane Mesquida. Araki co-wrote the script with Karley Sciortino. Magnolia secured U.S. rights in a seven-figure bidding war after Sundance.
Official Statements
The official synopsis calls it “a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.” Wilde told Variety “had to be so much more than just dom-sub,” adding “the second I met Cooper, I was like, ‘huh, I love you.’” Magnolia’s press release called it a “playful, irreverent take on the sexual revolution of a young person.”
Cultural Commentary
A Punchdrunk reviewer noted that Araki “ponders why so many Gen Z guys seem to be so afraid of sex,” framing the film as a critique of sexual anxiety and Hollywood’s reticence. Araki cited the #MeToo movement as a catalyst for swapping gender roles.
Sundance Reception
Festival audiences responded with loud laughter; attendees called the screening “so funny” and “raunchy,” generating buzz that made the title one of Sundance’s most talked-about films.
Conflicting Descriptions and Gaps
Media outlets label the work as a “sex comedy,” an “erotic thriller-comedy,” or a “screwball-style rom-com,” reflecting divergent genre views. The sources do not provide a rating, box-office forecasts, or demographic targeting, leaving commercial expectations unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This movie is an incredibly irreverent, playful take on showing this part of the sexual revolution of a young person,” — Olivia Wilde, Variety
- “This unconventional rom-com feels like a natural extension of the queer indie pioneer’s sex-positive sensibility, even as he steers things into novel territory,” — Peter Debruge, Variety
- “Also, Araki ponders why so many Gen Z guys seem to be so afraid of sex.” — Punchdrunk reviewer
- “When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse,” — Official synopsis
What’s Next
*I Want Your Sex* opens July 31, 2026; Wilde’s self-directed *The Invite* follows June 25, 2026, cementing her dual role as actress and emerging filmmaker.
