Joaquin Phoenix walks the red carpet at the 92nd Academy Awards at the Dolby® Theater in Hollywood, California on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Photo credit/provider: Nick Argo / ©AMPAS Copyright: ©AMPAS

Preview:

• Joaquin Phoenix left Todd Haynes’ new film a few days before filming began.
• It is a romantic drama about two men, developed by Phoenix himself.
• The film is now likely not to be shot and the team is angry with the actor.

Joaquin Phoenix is ​​a man who can be odd in his acting at times; some would even describe him as sensitive to his work. Although some filmmakers have expressed frustration with him in the past, he has nevertheless produced some winners, including an Oscar for Joker, and other directors have enjoyed working with him on multiple occasions.

We are not sure if Todd Haynes will join this club anytime soon.

Phoenix recently canceled production on Haynes’ new, untitled film just days before filming was scheduled to begin in Guadalajara, Mexico, which not only stalled production but practically brought it to a standstill.

Related Article: Director Todd Phillips Shares Romantic New ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Images

What was the story of the untitled new film?

Joaquin Phoenix in “Beau Is Afraid” by director Ari Aster.

Only the most basic details have emerged about the plot of the new film, which Haynes and Phoenix worked on with “Showing Up” and “Night Moves” writer Jonathan Raymond.

The film famously revolves around an intense romance in the 1930s between Phoenix’s character and a man played by his co-star Danny Ramirez from Top Gun: Maverick.

What happened to Joaquin Phoenix in Todd Haynes’ new movie?

Director Todd Haynes attends the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “May December” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

It is not known why Phoenix suddenly got cold feet about the project, which is all the more surprising considering that Phoenix was the one who originally pitched the idea to the director.

Here’s what Haynes told IndieWire about the new project while promoting “May December”:

“The whole experience was driven by Joaquin. It was driven by his daring, his desire to break down barriers and really explore the uncomfortable sides of this relationship. And yet it felt like a very organic process.”

So what happens to the film now? The production team, which includes Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler’s Killer Films, is now focused on paying the crew members who actually showed up in Mexico to start working on the film. There doesn’t seem to be any aspirations to recast the lead role, which would likely mean finding someone on Phoenix’s level to take on the role.

For the role, Haynes is reportedly focusing on directing the HBO miniseries “Trust,” an adaptation of Hernan Diaz’s novel about the financial ruin of the upper class in the 20th century, starring fellow “Mildred Pierce” star Kate Winslet.

What else was Joaquin Phoenix unsure about?

Joaquin Phoenix poses backstage with the Oscar® for Best Actor during the live ABC broadcast of the 92nd Academy Awards at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, California on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Photo credit/contributor: Nick Agro / ©AMPAS Copyright: ©AMPAS

In the wake of the Haynes film disaster, reports circulated of further problems with the Oscar-winning actor, who had previously stated that he was almost always nervous when accepting new roles.

According to sources at the Hollywood Reporter, he threatened to pull out of the production of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon if Paul Thomas Anderson (who helped Phoenix get an Oscar nomination for The Master) was not hired to co-write the screenplay. He did, and the result was released last year.

“The world is a stage.”

R2 hrs 18 minsOctober 4, 2024

Show times & tickets

While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur Fleck not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that has always been within him. Read the plot

This could well lead to bad blood for Phoenix in the future, but the actor’s Joker sequel, Folie à Deux, is set to be released in October and will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

The actor, who is known for shying away from the press, will have even more reason to dodge questions this time around. But if the film is as successful as the 2019 original, it will undoubtedly mean that producers and directors will want to continue working with him – and he already has other jobs lined up or in the pipeline.

Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker: Folie à Deux,” directed by Todd Phillips. Photo courtesy of Todd Phillips’ Instagram account.

List of Joaquin Phoenix films and TV shows:

Buy Joaquin Phoenix Movies on Amazon