We’ve been hearing about this for some time — but Joaquin Phoenix has exited Todd Haynes gay romance movie. The actor reportedly left set two weeks ago leaving producers in a quandary. I hear they were earnestly trying to put this back together again. The movie also stars Top Gun: Maverick‘s Danny Ramirez. The movie is unfortunately dead without The Joker Oscar winner attached as there are no plans to recast. Crew members are due money.
Phoenix walked off set just prior to Comic-Con. I understand Ramirez flew to San Diego Comic-Con not knowing whether production would resume or not.
The movie follows two men, one played by Phoenix, who are intense lovers and leave California for Mexico. Haynes’ regular producer Christine Vachon is producing as well as Pam Koffler. No further details on what Phoenix’s ire was. He has a reputation for being a deeply committed actor. There was buzz that this film had its fair share of dicey intimacy scenes. Haynes was shooting the pic in Guadalajara. MK2 Films was the sales rep on the production.
Haynes’ Cannes Film Festival premiere Carol was another movie that dealt with LGBTQ+ themes, but during button down times of 1950s New York. The movie was nominated for six Oscars including Cate Blanchett in Best Actress and Rooney Mara in Best Supporting Actress. Mara, Phoenix’s partner, won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. In addition the movie won the Queer Palm.
Next up for Phoenix is the press tour for Joker: Folie à Deux which is world premiering at Venice and guaranteed to be a fall blockbuster, and another R-rated benchmark for comic book movies. The Joker, despite Deadpool & Wolverine‘s success currently at $924M WW, remains the highest grossing R-rated movie ever at $1.1 billion. D&W, though, owns the R-rated all-time record at the domestic B.O. at $440M, well ahead of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ ($370M).