Turmoil as Joaquin Phoenix Abruptly Drops Out of Todd Haynes’ New Movie

The untitled new movie, which was to have co-starred Danny Ramirez, is a project that Phoenix himself brought to Haynes and developed with the director. What now?

Joaquin Phoenix arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Credit/Provider: Nick Argo / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Preview:

Joaquin Phoenix has left Todd Haynes’ new movie days before shooting was to start.
It’s a romantic drama focused on two men that Phoenix himself developed.
The movie likely now won’t get made and the team is angry at the actor.

Joaquin Phoenix is a man who can be quirky when it comes to his acting performances; some might even describe him as precious about the work. Still, though some filmmakers have expressed frustration with him in the past, he has certainly had some winners, including nabbing an Oscar for ‘Joker’ and other directors who have happily worked with him multiple times.

We’re not sure that Todd Haynes is about to join that club anytime soon.

Because recently, Phoenix walked away from Haynes’ new, untitled movie mere days before it was due to start shooting in in Guadalajara, Mexico, leaving the production not just scrambling, but effectively shut down.

What was the story of the untitled new movie?

Joaquin Phoenix in director Ari Aster's 'Beau Is Afraid.'

Only the most basic details emerged about the new movie’s plot, which Haynes and Phoenix worked on alongside ‘Showing Up’ and ‘Night Moves’ writer Jonathan Raymond.

It was known to focus on an intense romance in the 1930s between Phoenix’s character and a man played by co-star Danny Ramirez, of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

What happened with Joaquin Phoenix on the new Todd Haynes film?

Director Todd Haynes attends Netflix's 'May December' Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

No one is saying exactly why Phoenix suddenly got cold feet about the project, a situation which is even more surprising given that Phoenix brought the idea to the director in the first place.

This what Haynes told IndieWire about the new project while promoting ‘May December’:

“The whole experience was prompted by Joaquin. It was prompted by his daring, his desire to push through barriers and to really get into the uncomfortable places about this relationship. And yet it felt like a very organic process.”

So what happens now with the movie? The production team, which includes Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler’s Killer Films, is focused now on paying those crewmembers who actually did show up in Mexico to start work on the movie. There appears to be no move to recast the main role, which would likely mean finding someone on Phoenix’s level who would want to take on the part.

For this part, Haynes is reportedly pivoting to focus on directing HBO limited series ‘Trust,’ an adaptation of Hernan Diaz’s novel about upper-class financial ruin in the 20th century, with his ‘Mildred Pierce’ star Kate Winslet in the lead.

What else has Joaquin Phoenix been unsure about?

Joaquin Phoenix poses backstage with the Oscar® for Actor In A Leading Role during the live ABC Telecast of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Credit/Provider: Nick Agro / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

In the wake of the Haynes movie mess, reports of other issues with the Oscar-winning actor, who has previously said he’s almost always nervous about taking on new roles.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, he threatened to retreat from making Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ unless Paul Thomas Anderson (who steered Phoenix to an Oscar nomination for ‘The Master’) was brought in to work on the script. He did, and the result hit theaters last year.

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This could well cause bad blood for Phoenix moving forward, but the actor has ‘Joker’ sequel ‘Folie à Deux’ due in October, with a world premiere set for the Venice Film Festival.

The notoriously press shy actor will have even more reason to dodge questions this time, but if the movie is a success like the 2019 original, that will no doubt mean producers and directors will still want to work with him –– and he already has other jobs either in the can or lined up.