Joaquin Phoenix Declines to Address Sudden Exit from Todd Haynes' Gay Romance: Speaking Out Wouldn't 'Be Right'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Gareth Cattermole/Getty

Gareth Cattermole/Getty

Joaquin Phoenixis declining to address his controversialdeparture from Todd Haynes’ untitled gay romance moviejust five days before it was scheduled to begin filming.

Phoenix, 49, was asked about the swift exit during a press conference for his upcoming movieJoker: Folie à Deuxat theVenice Film Festivalon Wednesday, Sept. 4.

“I think if I do [speak about the reasoning], I’d just be sharing my opinion from my perspective, and the other creatives aren’t here to say their piece, and it justdoesn’t feel like that would be right,” theOscarwinner told the reporter who asked about the incident.

“I’m not sure how that would be helpful. So I don’t think I will,” he added.

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Joaquin Phoenix in Hollywood, California, on Feb. 9, 2020.Steve Granitz/WireImage

The film from writer-director Haynes, 63, was set to be filmed in Guadalajara, Mexico. However, Phoenix never made it south of the U.S. border and pulled out of the film a few days prior while he was in Los Angeles, perIndieWire.

The actor was set to star in the untitled project as a man fleeing to Mexico with his male lover. Haynes, Phoenix and author Jon Raymond developed the story. It appeared that production was on track before financials started to cause a potential rift in the production of the film, which has been shelved indefinitely.

Haynes is said to be moving on from this to work on his next project,Trust, which he will be writing with Raymond, per IndieWire.

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix inJoker: Folie à Deux(2024).Lady Gaga/Instagram

The film is a sequel to the firstJokermovie of 2019 thatwon Phoenix an Academy Awardfor his portrayal of Arthur Fleck, a.k.a. the Joker.

Joker: Folie à Deuxis in theaters Oct. 4.

The Venice Film Festival is running through Saturday, Sept. 7.

source: people.com