Joaquin Phoenix Abruptly Exits Gay Romance Film Over Reported ‘Cold Feet’

Joaquin Phoenix has reportedly exited Todd Haynes’s upcoming untitled gay romance just days before filming was set to start in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The 49-year-old “Joker” star was slated to lead this new detective love story, a screenplay he co-authored with Haynes and Jon Raymond.

However, five days before production was scheduled to begin, Phoenix made a last-minute decision to withdraw from the film after experiencing “cold feet,” according to a source mentioned by Variety.

Entire sets had already been constructed by the time he abandoned the project in early July.

Representatives for Phoenix and Haynes have been contacted for comment by The Independent.

Produced by Killer Films and supported by sales agent MK2 Film, the movie had already been sold to international distributors. Variety also reports that the actor’s role cannot be recast, leaving the crew without work and investors without returns, potentially resulting in losses exceeding seven figures.

In July, Danny Ramirez, known for his role in “Top Gun: Maverick,” had signed on to play Phoenix’s love interest.

Director Haynes, renowned for his work on queer films including the Oscar-nominated “Carol” (2015) and last year’s “May December,” had first hinted at this project in a 2023 interview with Variety. He described it as “a love story between two men set in the ’30s that has explicit sexual content.”

Haynes added that the movie, intended to be rated NC-17 (the highest MPA rating for films containing material inappropriate for children under 17), aimed to feature a relationship that would “challenge” audiences.

“[Phoenix] had fragments of ideas and then I started to formulate them into an actual narrative,” Haynes explained, adding that “Joaquin was pushing it further into more dangerous territory, sexually.”

Phoenix is set to return to his Oscar-winning role as Joker/Arthur Fleck, while Lady Gaga is set to debut as Harley Quinn in “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the musical sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 film, “Joker.”

The first film detailed the mental decline of Arthur, an aspiring comedian and clown, following social and romantic rejection. His transformation into the violent Joker persona ensued, leading him to become a cult figure. Phoenix won an Oscar for his performance, and the film grossed over $1 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.

The sequel is scheduled to hit theaters on October 4, 2024, marking the fifth anniversary of the original film’s release.