Before leaving the “queer drama” film, Joaquin Phoenix threatened to leave Napoleon if Ridley Scott did not meet this condition | Hollywood
August 14, 2024, 10:08 AM IST
Joaquin Phoenix, who recently dropped out of Todd Phoenix’s queer drama at the last minute, has had similar problems with abandonment on the film set in the past.
Todd Haynes’ queer drama may not be the first project that Joaquin Phoenix has dropped out of at the last minute. In fact, The Hollywood Reporter suggests that he even threatened to do so last year on Ridley Scott’s period drama Napoleon, in which he played the title role. (Also Read – Joaquin Phoenix abruptly drops out of gay romance film, leaving it as good as dead: Here’s why)
Joaquin’s demand to Napoleon
The report states: “The actor is actually known for getting cold feet before filming various projects. Two sources told THR that he threatened to leave Ridley Scott’s Napoleon if his director, Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of The Master, was not hired to do rewrites. Appeased, he stayed with the project and it hit theaters late last year.”
The film was written by David Scarpa and directed by Oscar winner Ridley Scott. Joaquin played the French ruler and Vanessa Kirby played his wife Josephine. The film grossed $221 million worldwide and received three Oscar nominations in the technical categories.
Joaquin’s recent departure
Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix’s sudden exit from Todd Haynes’ new film has led to the cancellation of the project. Phoenix dropped out of the queer drama film about two men in love who flee to Mexico, just five days before filming was scheduled to begin in Guadalajara.
The Joker actor reportedly got “cold feet” about the project, for which he had developed the script together with Todd and Jon Raymond. Joaquin was to star alongside “Top Gun: Maverick” actor Danny Ramirez in the love story set in the 1930s with “explicit sexual content.” The film was to receive an NC-17 rating due to its explicit sex scenes. The role will not be recast for the film.
During the press tour for his 2023 Netflix film May December, director Todd Haynes told IndieWire that Phoenix was the driving force behind the project. “The whole experience was inspired by Joaquin. It was inspired by his daring, his desire to break barriers and really explore the uncomfortable parts of this relationship. And yet it felt like a very organic process,” the filmmaker said.
Joaquin will next be seen in “Joker: Folie a Deux,” the sequel to his 2019 film “Joker,” which earned him his first Oscar trophy for Best Actor. The film, which also stars Lady Gaga, was directed by Todd Phillips and is scheduled to be released in October.
