Joaquin Phoenix Drops Out of Todd Haynes’ Gay Romance Days Before Filming

Joaquin Phoenix Drops Out of Todd Haynes' Gay Romance Days Before Filming

As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the sudden departure of Joaquin Phoenix from Todd Haynes’ upcoming film has left me both perplexed and saddened. The anticipation for this project was palpable, with its daring narrative and groundbreaking content promising to push the boundaries of cinema.


The highly anticipated collaboration between actor Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Haynes for their upcoming movie seemed promising, but unfortunately, it seems that this partnership will not materialize as planned. The filming was scheduled to commence within a few days, but Phoenix has unexpectedly withdrawn from the Mexico set shoot, causing production to come to an abrupt halt with no current plans to resume.

According to IndieWire, actor Joaquin Phoenix has withdrawn from director Todd Haynes’ unnamed gay romance detective drama just five days before filming was due to commence in Guadalajara, Mexico. Despite being based in Los Angeles at the time, Phoenix decided to leave the project prior to its start. Intriguingly, Phoenix was not only a cast member but also co-wrote and collaborated on the film with Haynes and Jon Raymond. The production aimed to challenge the limitations of an NC-17 rating for the period detective drama set in the 1930s.

The Project Hinged on Joaquin Phoenix’s Involvement

As a devoted cinephile, I found myself embroiled in an intricate predicament with the movie project. The initial buzz around it was palpable during the pre-sales phase leading up to the European Film Market in February. However, things took a turn for the worse around early July. It appears that Carolynne Haynes, during her promotional run for her last film “May December” in 2023, had shared that it was Phoenix himself who insisted on pushing the film’s graphic content to its limits, a decision seemingly driven by his personal commitment to the project. Unfortunately, Phoenix decided to step away from the production, leaving us scrambling to find solutions. This unexpected move has put a financial strain on everyone involved in the production, meaning that those of us who were eagerly anticipating working on this film must still be compensated for our time and effort.

Even though Joaquin Phoenix has left the project, it doesn’t imply that the financiers and crew members won’t receive their due compensation. MK2 Films, who supported this venture, does not currently plan to replace Phoenix. Instead, they are prioritizing ensuring fair financial treatment for all parties involved. Danny Ramirez, known for his role in “Captain America: Brave New World” next year, was cast as Phoenix’s romantic counterpart in July, probably passing up other opportunities to be part of this film. Anyone who invested their time and resources into the project is expected to receive some form of reimbursement, but that doesn’t diminish the stressful nature of the situation.

Regarding future projects, Phoenix will appear in “Joker: Folie À Deux” set to release on Oct. 4, following which he completed production for Ari Aster’s “Eddington” in May. It is anticipated that Haynes will shift his focus towards directing the miniseries, “Trust”, where he will collaborate with writing partner Jon Raymond once again and work alongside Kate Winslet, who previously teamed up with him on “Mildred Pierce”.

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2024-08-09 20:31