Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix has dropped out of Todd Haynes’ upcoming gay romance just days before filming was scheduled to begin. According to sources close to the actor, Phoenix got cold feet and decided to drop out of the film.
However, the departure of actor Her from the project has caused anger among the producers, as Phoenix’s role cannot be recast. Since the actor for the lead role was already confirmed, the film was sent to distributors before production began.
Meanwhile, the film has not yet paid those involved, and reports from Variety suggest that the makers will bear the loss, which could exceed seven figures. The sets are being built in Guadalajara, as filming was scheduled to take place within five days before the Hollywood star stepped out of character.
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Various sources also stated that Phoenix dropped out of the film because the script allegedly called for explicit and intimate scenes that he was supposed to play on set. This has not yet been confirmed by either the actor or the film’s makers.
The Napoleon actor was cast alongside “Top Gun: Maverick” star Danny Ramirez, who is set to take on the co-lead role in 2023. Meanwhile, director Todd Hayne revealed to the media company after the casting that his upcoming film is about “a love story between two men in the 1930s with explicit sexual content.”
The film was labeled NC-17 and was expected to feature content that would challenge audiences and society. While the insider suggested that one of the reasons for Phoenix’s walking around could be to perform intimate scenes on screen, other reports also claim that it was the actor who suggested the project to the filmmaker in the first place.
Speaking to Variety, Hayne previously said: “Basically, it was just this wonderful, organic way of writing the script.” He added: “And Joaquin made it even more sexually dangerous.” The final decision on the film is still pending.
Professionally, Joaquin Phoenix is preparing for his big release of “Joker: Folie a Deux” together with Lady Gaga.
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