Pedro Pascal in Talks to Replace Joaquin Phoenix in Todd Haynes’s New Film
Just over a year ago, it was reported that Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) had suddenly dropped out of a film just five days before shooting was set to begin. Now, that film appears to be back from the dead, with hot-ticket star Pedro Pascal in talks to take the lead.
This year, both Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal starred together in Eddington.
According to an exclusive report from Deadline, the production team for the gay romance film De Noche plans to bring in Pedro Pascal (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) to star, replacing Joaquin Phoenix who dropped out last year. Filming is tentatively set to begin in Mexico next year. The film is directed by Todd Haynes (Carol) and was co-written by him, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jon Raymond (Mildred Pierce). Danny Ramirez (the new Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) will also star. The story contains both romance and detective elements, following two men who flee from California to Mexico.
The film was originally scheduled to begin filming last summer, but Joaquin Phoenix reportedly decided to leave the project just five days before shooting. At the time, it was said that the sets and locations in Mexico were all ready, but Phoenix's sudden departure forced a two-week attempt to save the film, which was ultimately unsuccessful. The director had previously revealed during pre-production that the film originated from some of Phoenix's fragmented ideas, and that as they worked on the script together, Phoenix continuously pushed the boundaries of the film. As a result, the sex scenes were intended to be very explicit, requiring an NC-17 rating. Now that Pedro Pascal may be taking over the lead role, it's uncertain if the script and the nature of these scenes will change.
Pedro Pascal is arguably one of Hollywood's most talked-about actors. On the television front, he has starred in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian (though his face is mostly hidden) and last year won a SAG Award for Best Actor for The Last of Us, for which he was also nominated for an Emmy this year. In movies, he had three films released this summer alone: the Marvel film The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eddington, and Materialists. It's interesting to note that his co-star in Eddington was none other than Joaquin Phoenix himself, with the two playing political rivals who clash during a mayoral race. Next year, Pascal is set to star in two major blockbusters, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Avengers: Doomsday, both of which are expected to be box office hits.
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Photo: VVS Films
Source: Deadline