Todd Haynes Says His Shelved Queer Romance Could Be ‘Resurrected’ Later Despite Joaquin Phoenix’s Exit

Todd Haynes isn’t done with his next queer romance even if former lead star Joaquin Phoenix is.

Haynes said while at the Marrakech Film Festival via Variety that the script could potentially be “resurrected” later in a different form. This is the first time Haynes has spoken about the shelved feature since Joaquin Phoenix abruptly exited the project shortly before filming.

“What happened this summer was tough,” Haynes said. “But the film itself and the script itself may resurrect in a different form someday.”

The yet-untitled film was a gay love story that followed a corrupt cop (Phoenix) and his younger lover (Danny Ramirez) as they flee to 1930s Mexico. Phoenix had originated the idea and brought the concept to Killer Films producer Christine Vachon; Phoenix also developed the (expectedly) NC-17-rated screenplay with Haynes and Jon Raymond. IndieWire was the first to report the news that Phoenix dropped out of the film.

Producer Vachon previously said it was “tragic” that the project was paused.

“Todd Haynes is 62. He’s not old but there’s a finite number of films that he will be able to do in his lifetime,” Vachon said. “I consider him one of the most extraordinary film artists of his generation. The idea that his time was wasted and that a movie is not a result of those years of working closely with Joaquin, that is the tragedy to me and that I can’t get over. We, as a cultural community, lost an opportunity to have another movie by Todd Haynes. That is just criminal.”

When asked what Haynes will work on next, Vachon added at the time, “There’s a big question mark above his head.”

Ramirez, who was cast in the film, told Variety that “hopefully” the film could still be made.

“The most recent update is ‘hopefully,’” Ramirez said about the feature sans Phoenix. He added that it is “definitely a very complicated situation,” though.

Phoenix had declined to comment fully on his exit from the Haynes film during the 2024 Venice Film Festival while promoting “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

“If I do [explain why I left], I’ll just be sharing my opinion from my perspective, and the other creatives aren’t here to say their piece,” Phoenix said, “and it just doesn’t feel like that would be right. I am not sure how that would be helpful. I don’t think I will.”