Joaquin Phoenix is facing backlash after he abruptly dropped out of Todd Haynes' untitled gay romance five days before filming was set to begin in Mexico, with a producer calling the situation "a nightmare."
On Friday it emerged that Phoenix had exited the drama, with Variety reporting that the role cannot be recast. No official reason for his last-minute exit was provided, but the outlet quoted a source as saying he got "cold feet." Adding confusion to the situation is that Phoenix brought the project to Haynes.
Producer Christine Vachon of Killer Films responded in a since-deleted post on social media cited by The Hollywood Reporter.
"A version of this did happen. It has been a nightmare," Vachon wrote, according to the outlet. She also dismissed speculation that Phoenix's decision was rooted in the idea that he was straight and nervous about portraying a gay character.
"If you are tempted to finger wag or admonish us that 'that's what you get for casting a straight actor' — DON'T," she continued, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "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)."
Haynes' film was intended to explore a passionate gay romance in the 1930s, featuring Danny Ramirez — known for his roles in "Top Gun: Maverick" and the upcoming "Captain America: Brave New World"— as a co-star. Pam Koffler was slated to produce alongside Vachon. A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the team was "devastated" by Phoenix's departure, noting that the film had already incurred costs in the low seven figures.