This week Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix decided to exit his role as a gay character in an upcoming Todd Haynes-directed romantic film.
According to Variety, the 49-year-old actor withdrew from the project just five days before filming was set to begin in Mexico. Phoenix, who had co-developed the 1930s detective romance storyline with Haynes and screenwriter Jon Raymond, reportedly got "cold feet," according to a source.
The news comes after production sets were built in Guadalajara ahead of Phoenix departing the film, with crew members awaiting compensation for their work.
The film, which also stars actor Danny Ramirez, is said to follow two men who have "an intense relationship and leave California for Mexico," per Deadline. The outlet added that the project was said to have "its fair share of edgy scenes" and a NC-17 rating. According to a source Page Six spoke to, the “subject matter of the film was a factor” in the actor’s decision to exit the film.
Produced by Killer Films and backed by cinema company MK2 Film, the movie had already been sold to international distributors.
Last September, Haynes told Variety that the storyline began with "fragments of ideas" from Phoenix, which the director then shaped into "an actual narrative" before collaborating with Raymond.
"Basically it was just this wonderful, organic way to create the script," Haynes said. "And Joaquin was pushing it further into more dangerous territory, sexually."
Deadline reports that the role cannot be recast and that the movie is now completely dead in the water due to the actor’s departure.