People are waiting to be paid after Joaquin Phoenix dropped out of Todd Haynes’ untitled gay romance film just five days before the film was supposed to shoot in Mexico, according to IndieWire. Phoenix reportedly left the project while still in Los Angeles, even though a crew had already been assembled for the shoot in Guadalajara.
Phoenix had helped develop the script with Jon Raymond and Haynes, who would helm the project as a follow-up to the well-received May/December last year. According to IndieWire, Phoenix dropped out of the project in July, and since then the film has been put on hold. To make matters worse, Haynes had previously told the site that Phoenix was responsible for the film’s momentum—its financing was strongly dependent on his casting, as the film is likely to be rated NC-17.
Haynes was determined to include explicit sex scenes, but told the site that Phoenix encouraged him to push even further. He praised Phoenix’s “desire to push through barriers and to really get into the uncomfortable places about this relationship,” adding, “The whole experience was prompted by Joaquin.” But something clearly changed for the actor.
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Whatever Phoenix’s reasoning for pulling out of the film, which would have been his first gay screen role, several people involved have been left without jobs because of his timing. IndieWire reports that financiers and crew members still need to be paid for the scheduled shoot, and sources tell the site that Phoenix is not expected to return to the project. Producers are not yet seeking a new star as Haynes will move on to other projects in the meantime.
As he heads into the press tour for Joker: Folie à Deux this fall, Phoenix may have trouble avoiding questions about why he decided to leave the film he had apparently championed high and dry.
