While James Ivory, the screenwriter of Call Me by Your Name, was originally slated to direct the film adaptation, then to co-direct with Luca Guadagnino, Guadagnino ended up taking over full directorial duties before filming got underway. According to Guadagnino, had Ivory helmed the film, it would have been a more elaborate and expensive affair, but Guadagnino was ready and willing to take a simpler approach to the story of young love.
The film was a deeply personal one for Guadagnino, and he even filmed it in his hometown, Cremona, in northern Italy. In an interview with The Guardian about the film he stated, "This is a movie about a family, compassion, transmission of knowledge, of being better people because someone’s otherness changes you. That this kind of discourse could be embraced by an audience and critics is very warming." Working with a close team of friends and collaborators, Guadagnino wanted to create a simple, emotional, and heartfelt story, and the leisurely shoot was done in chronological order.
Guadagnino felt a special connection to the material, and took his time acclimating his actors to his vision. Of the experience of working with Guadagnino, Armie Hammer stated in an interview with People, "I probably fell in love with Luca the same way Elio fell in love with Oliver. I looked at him with amazement.”
