After Joaquin Phoenix‘s abrupt exit from Todd Haynes‘ gay romance resulted in the film’s unraveling, one of its producers has addressed the fallout.
Christine Vachon of Killer Films shared an article to Facebook about the actor dropping out five days before production, while responding to speculation that Phoenix’s sudden departure had to do with the film’s LGBTQ content and planned NC-17 rating.
“A version of this did happen. It has been a nightmare,” she started in the post, according to People.
“And PLEASE — if you are tempted to finger wag or admonish us that ‘that’s what you get for casting a straight actor’ — DON’T,” wrote Vachon in part. “This was HIS project that he brought to US– and Killer’s record on working with LGBTQ actors/crew/directors speaks for itself. (and for those of you who HAVE — know that you are making a terrible situation even worse).”
Since producing Haynes’ 1991 ‘new queer cinema’ directorial debut Poison, Vachon has since worked with the auteur on Safe (1995), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Far From Heaven (2002), I’m Not There (2007) and Carol (2015). She has also produced such films as Stonewall (1995), Kids (1995), I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), Boys Don’t Cry (1999), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), Camp (2003) and Party Monster (2003).
Charles Melton, director Todd Haynes and Julianne Moore on the set of May December (2023). (Francois Duhamel/Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Francois Duhamel/Netflix
Phoenix reportedly stormed off the set of Haynes’ movie two weeks ago in Guadalajara, Mexico, and producers have since been trying to put the project back together before the production completely died. Local crew members are due money.
The movie was set to star Phoenix and Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) as two men in the 1930s who develop an intense romantic relationship and leave Los Angeles for Mexico. Vachon was producing alongside Pam Koffler.
Haynes previously told Deadline, “I have a project I’m very excited about next, which is a very different film in style and tone and setting. It’s a love story set in the 1930s between two men, an interracial relationship, a very unlikely pair. It stars Joaquin Phoenix. The earliest ideas around the story and the setting were things he came to me with a couple of years ago. We started to talk and share these conversations.”
The director said that he and partner Jon Raymond wrote the script with Phoenix, adding that they “just basically created this thing, so we’ll all be sharing story credit on it together. It feels very fresh and new and exciting.”
Meanwhile, Phoenix is preparing to embark on the press tour for Joker: Folie à Deux, which premieres October 4 in the US.
