When Joaquin Phoenix abruptly dropped out of Todd Haynes’ gay romance last week, just five days before filming began, the actor triggered a tidal wave that now extends far beyond the set in Guadalajara, Mexico.
“The outrage was huge,” says a studio executive of Hollywood producers’ reaction to Phoenix’s last-minute departure, which embarrassed the cast and crew and now leaves the actor facing the possibility of legal action, according to sources.
The departure was particularly surprising because Phoenix initially pitched the project to Haynes and his longtime producers at Killer Films, led by Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler.
The untitled film, which also features Captain America: Brave New WorldThe film, starring Danny Ramirez, is said to focus on an intense gay romance in the 1930s. According to multiple sources, Phoenix got cold feet ahead of production, but the reasons for this remain unclear. A spokesperson for Phoenix did not respond to a request for comment. Killer Films declined to comment.
In fact, the actor is known to get cold feet before filming various projects. Two sources tell THR that he had threatened to shoot Ridley Scott’s Napoleon unless his The master Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was commissioned to rework the script. Appeased, he stayed with the project and the film was released in cinemas at the end of last year.
As Phoenix once told 60 minutesAnderson Cooper says he is usually “scared to death” when he accepts a role, and he is “nervous” before filming begins, fearing he “wouldn’t be able to find the right place to express my ideas.”
In recent days, calls for legal action against Phoenix have grown louder in the producing community, with insiders pointing to examples throughout Hollywood history in which actors have been held accountable for leaving films without a star.
In 1993, a court found that Kim Bassigner had breached an oral contract for the lead role in the film Main Line Pictures. Boxing Helenawith Bassigner being ordered to pay the company at least $8.92 million in damages. That ruling was overturned the following year, and Bassigner finally settled with Main Line in 1995, agreeing to pay $3.8 million.
Others have mentioned Bruce Willis’ exit from a never-finished Disney film Broadway hitters in the middle of production, forcing him to make up for it by making three Disney films at a price below his market value. (This situation worked out in everyone’s favor, as two of these films ended up being hits.) Armageddon And Sixth sense.)
The controversy comes as Phoenix prepares to The Joker: Folie à Deux to Venice and probably other festivals as well. The Haynes drama film could cast a shadow over the press tour, although Phoenix himself traditionally does very little solo press work for his spectacular roles and usually waits until later in the awards season.
To jokerhe and Warners turned down most of the big requests, and at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles there were no red carpet interviews, such as joker Phoenix was also controversial because people feared the film would provoke violence. The film ultimately became a billion-dollar hit and earned Phoenix an Oscar.
In fact, the actor’s low-key demeanor and reputation for being a bad actor haven’t hurt his Oscar chances, and have sometimes even helped him with voters. Phoenix’s elaborate joke that he would become a rapper – mocked by many when he made the attempt in 2010 – didn’t stop him from being nominated for Best Actor. The master two years later.
Still, festivals involve red carpets and press conferences, and Phoenix’s presence at one of these events could be a distraction for fans and the media alike, so close to his decision to leave the Haynes film.
According to sources, some producers have casually discussed blacklisting Phoenix because of Haynes’ departure, but most admit that’s not realistic, especially given that Jokers 2will be released on October 4th and is expected to be a hit.
An agent unconnected with the Haynes films believes Phoenix will ultimately not suffer a major career setback. And that person predicts the actor will be happy with the low seven-figure sum the production spent on the film, citing his high fees for his joker Films in which the actor has enough money to deal with this situation. “As long as they threaten, he will settle. He doesn’t care,” says the agent.
—Steven Zeitchik contributed to this story.
