Joaquin Phoenix has exited out an upcoming gay romance film directed by Todd Haynes just days before production was set to get underway in Mexico.
According to Variety, a source close to the production said Phoenix’s decision to depart the project stemmed from him getting “cold feet.” Curiously, Phoenix himself had developed the screenplay with Haynes.
The untitled film was to star Phoenix opposite Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick). Reportedly set to be rated NC-17, the story centered on a sexual relationship between two men—one a Native American and the other a Los Angeles cop— who escape from L.A. to Mexico in the 1930s.
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Variety reports that the film’s entire set had already been constructed in Guadalajara prior to Phoenix departing, and as the film’s financing hinged on Phoenix’s involvement, the role cannot be recast. Losses on the film could exceed seven figures.
Phoenix can next be seen opposite Lady Gaga in Joker: Folie à Deux, which is set to open in theaters on October 4th.
