Joaquin Phoenix has a history of desertion troubles on movie sets; he just left Todd Phoenix’s LGBT drama at the last minute.
Joaquin Phoenix may not have left a film early before, including Todd Haynes’ LGBT drama. Indeed, according to The Hollywood Reporter, he made similar threats when starring as Napoleon in Ridley Scott’s historical drama last year.
Joaquin’s demand on Napoleon
“The actor is in fact known to get cold feet ahead of filming on various projects,” the article claims. He allegedly threatened to leave Ridley Scott’s Napoleon if Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of The Master, wasn’t brought in to rewrite the film, according to two insiders who spoke with THR. After being hired, he remained on the project until its late release in theaters last year.
Napoleon, which was helmed by Academy Award winner Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa, stars Joaquin as the French emperor and Vanessa Kirby as his spouse Josephine. In addition to earning $221 million globally, it received three technical Oscar nominations.
Joaquin’s recent exit
Due to Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix’s abrupt withdrawal from Todd Haynes’ next picture, the production has been canceled. Phoenix withdrew from the LGBT drama film, which was about two guys who fall in love and flee to Mexico, five days before Guadalajara production was about to start.
The Joker actor had written the screenplay for the movie alongside Todd and Jon Raymond, but apparently had “cold feet” about it. Top Gun: Maverick actor Danny Ramirez was Joaquin’s co-star in the 1930s-set romantic drama with “explicit sexual content.” The film’s explicit sexual content was supposed to get it an NC-17 certification. There won’t be a new casting for the film.
Phoenix was the inspiration for the concept, director Todd Haynes told IndieWire during the press tour for his 2023 Netflix feature May December. “It was Joaquin who started the whole thing. It was inspired by his audacity, his willingness to break down walls and delve deeply into the awkward aspects of this partnership. However, it seemed like a pretty natural procedure,” the director had previously stated.
Joaquin’s next role is in Joker: Folie a Deux, the follow-up to his 2019 film Joker, which earned him his first Best Actor Oscar. The Todd Phillips-directed film, which also stars Lady Gaga, is scheduled for release in October.
