Joaquin Phoenix exits Todd Haynes’ gay romance film just days before production

 Just five days before production was supposed to start in Mexico, Joaquin Phoenix pulled out of Todd Haynes’ unnamed gay romance picture, Variety confirms.

Indiewire, Variety, and Deadline reported that the actor had “cold feet,” and sources close to the filmmakers confirmed this to the Guardian.

Phoenix collaborated with Haynes and Jon Raymond to create the script for the romantic mystery film. According to a production insider who spoke with Variety, the actor had “cold feet.” Guadalajara had already constructed entire sets before Phoenix’s last-minute decision to leave the picture.

Phoenix’s casting alongside Danny Ramirez, who played Top Gun: Maverick, in a 1930s love tale raised concerns due to its explicit sexual content. The picture was supposed to get the contentious NC-17 classification because of the sexual scenes.

While marketing his May-December drama starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman last year, Haynes said that the picture “challenges you with the sexual relationship” between the male leads.

The surprising thing, according to Haynes, who spoke to Variety, was that it all began with Joaquin having some ideas, thoughts, questions, and photographs. As a result, he approached me and said, “Does this have any bearing on you?” “Yeah, this is really fascinating,” I thought to myself.

“Pulling it further into more dangerous territory, sexually,” he said, referring to Phoenix specifically.

Haynes expected his longtime colleague Christine Vachon to produce the picture. There have been reports that crew workers in Mexico are now awaiting payment before the project can be considered dead.

Supposedly, Haynes is currently concentrating on an HBO adaptation of Trust, the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Hernan Diaz. Kate Winslet, who appeared in Haynes’s 2011 miniseries adaptation of Mildred Pierce, will be returning to the cast for this project.

Phoenix, who last appeared in Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott, has just wrapped filming Eddington, which he co-wrote with Ari Aster and stars Emma Stone. Next month at the Venice Film Festival, his much-anticipated sequel to The Joker will make its world debut.

The Guardian has contacted representatives from Haynes, Vachon, and Phoenix for comment.