According to reports, Joaquin Phoenix dropped out of Todd Haynes’ new gay novel just five days before filming was scheduled to begin.
The untitled film was scheduled to begin shooting next week in Guadalajara, Mexico, but diversity has confirmed that the Oscar-winning actor has dropped out of the project; a person close to the film said Phoenix got “cold feet.”
Phoenix had worked on the film’s script with Haynes, who is known for directing Carol, I am not there And May Decemberand Jon Raymond.
diversity reports that the future of the project is in jeopardy, although it has already been sold to international distributors. The film crew is now said to be unemployed and losses are estimated at a seven-figure sum.
Unconfirmed speculation suggests Phoenix’s decision may have something to do with the explicit nature of the sex scenes in the film. Neither Phoenix nor Haynes responded to requests for comment on the reports.
Phoenix will also be in Joker: Foil for Twowhich will be released in theaters on October 2nd. He will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga will take on the role of Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn, the Joker’s henchwoman and lover.
The film is originally a musical, but Phoenix recently hinted that the movie could have taken an even more unusual genre turn when he revealed that he and director Todd Phillips had discussed setting the film “in space.”
The film has been described as “primarily a jukebox musical,” and Phoenix, who won an Oscar for the first film, recently said that Gaga was so impressed when she first heard him sing that she spat out her coffee.
Also taking part are Steve Coogan, AtlantaZazie Beetz and Catherine Keener (Be John Malkovich) and Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin).
Phoenix is also set to appear in Hereditary The new film by director Ari Aster EddingtonThe film is described as a “contemporary western” and also stars Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler.
