Joaquin Phoenix has been in the news lately because he pulled out of a racy movie right before filming was about to start. He hasn’t said much about it, but there are rumors going around that might explain why he left the project so suddenly.
In an interview from May 2023, director Todd Haynes revealed that he and actor Joaquin Phoenix worked together to create a historical gay love story with Jonathan Raymond, who often collaborates with Kelly Reichardt. Haynes said that this project was meant to be his upcoming film.
Todd Haynes attends the “May/December” Headline Gala premiere during the 67th BFI London Film Festival on October 6, 2023, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
The upcoming movie is a special project that I created with Joaquin Phoenix. It all started with some ideas he shared with me, and together we wrote the script. Joaquin, Jon Raymond, and I all get credit for the story, which is pretty cool, according to Haynes.
Phoenix is famous for taking on really intense roles, and he motivated Haynes to dive into daring, mature topics. Haynes remembered how much the movie star inspired him, saying, “Joaquin kept urging me on, saying, ‘Come on, let’s push it even more.’”
Joaquin Phoenix during the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 19, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Haynes shared that the script was created through a natural and teamwork-based approach, with the Academy Award winner encouraging the project to explore bolder themes, especially regarding its sexual content.
In September 2023, Haynes announced a new project with Phoenix, calling it an NC-17 historical film that takes place in Los Angeles during the 1930s.
Todd Haynes attends the “May December” photocall at the 76th annual Cannes film festival on May 21, 2023, in Cannes, France. | Source: Getty Images
At the U.S. premiere of “May December” in September 2023, Haynes told fans about how the film was coming along. He mentioned that they finished the script right after they wrapped up filming “May December” and just before the strike in the industry started.
Haynes said that Phoenix was a big inspiration for the project. He admired Phoenix for being bold and for his determination to overcome challenges. Haynes pointed out that the Golden Globe Award winner’s interest in looking at the tough parts of a relationship was key to creating the story.
Joaquin Phoenix attends the UK premiere of “Napoleon,” 2023 | Source: Getty Images
The unnamed movie planned to start filming in Mexico as soon as Phoenix was free, and the story is about Phoenix’s character and his girlfriend escaping to Mexico.
Haynes said he really wants to team up with a lot of the same people from “May December” for this new project. But, it all depends on when the “Gladiator” star is free because of delays from the strike and other things that got pushed back.
Joaquin Phoenix during the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Phoenix surprised everyone by pulling out of the untitled movie just five days before they were supposed to start filming in Guadalajara, Mexico. Even though things were going ahead as planned, he decided to back out while he was still in Los Angeles, and the whole project ended up falling apart in July 2024.
Haynes had put together a team in Mexico, with the help of sales agent MK2 Films, who was supporting the production and making international deals. Reports suggested that the funding for the film relied on Phoenix being part of the project.
Joaquin Phoenix attends the Los Angeles premiere of “Beau Is Afraid,” 2023 | Source: Getty Images
His unexpected departure left many people, like investors and crew members, still waiting to get paid. Phoenix’s quick exit from the movie with little warning is thought to have caused losses of more than a million dollars.
The Grammy Award winner was recently at a press conference with his co-star Lady Gaga during the Venice Film Festival. They were there to promote “Joker: Folie à Deux,” which is the sequel to the hit movie from 2019. In this new film, Phoenix reprises his Oscar-winning role as the famous comic-book character that brought him so much recognition.
An X user shared their thoughts about Phoenix being at the conference, writing, “Joaquin seemed really happy. He jumped into the room with a big smile and greeted the press by saying, ‘Hi everyone! It’s great to see you all!’”
Phoenix kept a cheerful and surprisingly friendly attitude at the press conference. However, a few minutes later, a reporter asked him why he decided to leave the Haynes film. The actor began to answer but then stopped for a moment to think before he continued speaking.
“If I share my thoughts, it would only be my view, and the other artists aren’t around to express theirs. It doesn’t seem fair to do that. I don’t believe it would be useful, so I think I’ll pass,” he said, adding, “Thanks!”
People on social media were really happy about Phoenix’s choice. One Facebook user said, “I think it was HIS choice to make, and he did it. I hope they pick the right cast. With all the excitement, it should be amazing!” Another person shared, “I have a lot of respect for him.” Someone else was thrilled about the actor’s decision, saying, “I’M SO HAPPY HE DID!”
Another person pointed out that continuing with the production might have led to bad situations for Phoenix, saying, “He made the smart choice. It could have really affected his career.”
Someone else pointed out, “He made the RIGHT decision.” Even though Phoenix faced criticism for backing out of the project when everything was ready, one person stood up for him. “There’s no need to judge him. We should respect his beliefs and his choice. Actors have the right to pick the roles they want, after all,” the person said.
Even though Phoenix didn’t say why he left the Haynes movie, someone who knows about it has shared some thoughts on why he might have made that choice. A person connected to the film mentioned that the famous actor seemed to have gotten “cold feet” right before he decided to leave.
Since the news about his departure hit the headlines, a magazine contacted the teams of both Phoenix and Killer Films, but the people from Killer Films chose not to say anything.
Joaquin Phoenix attends a special screening of “Joker” on September 25, 2019, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images
Haynes wanted the movie to include some really open gay sex scenes, which would have been Phoenix’s first time playing a gay character in a film. But, reports say that Phoenix probably won’t come back to the project, and Killer Films isn’t looking for someone to take his place right now.
Right now, the main focus is on paying back the people who put in their time to make the movie. Even though the film has already been sold to distributors around the world, the crew is currently without jobs, and those involved are still waiting to get paid.
Joaquin Phoenix attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar party on February 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
After Joaquin Phoenix left the project unexpectedly, the future of the untitled Todd Haynes film is now unclear. Production has stopped, and there have been big financial losses, making it tough for the film to bounce back. While fans are waiting for more news, the attention is now on how to support everyone involved and figuring out what to do next without one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
