Joaquin Phoenix is quickly learning: You can’t ghost the gays without catching some heat.
Last last week, news broke that the Oscar-winning actor got cold feet over an untitled “explicit gay romance” he was supposed to make with acclaimed queer filmmaker Todd Haynes, reportedly abandoning the project a mere five days before production was set to begin, leaving co-star Danny Ramirez and the rest of his cast and crew hanging in the process.
And while one could understand why a straight actor might get nervous about a gay role that apparently delves into some “sexually dangerous” territory, the gag is that the movie was Phoenix’s idea in the first place—based off a story concept he personally brought to Haynes.
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It was… not a good look for the 49-year-old actor, to say the least, with one of the film’s producers, Christine Vachon, calling the situation a “nightmare.”
While the internet was happy to suggest possible replacements for Phoenix—with out wrestler Anthony Bowens even throwing his own name in the ring—it’s all too little, too late, and this version of the film is now on ice indefinitely.
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Speculation over what happened was soon crowded out by anger, specifically directed at Phoenix for pushing for and then abandoning a queer role. It’s hard enough to get an independent film made these days, let alone a queer, possibly NC-17 rated one, and it seems the debacle was enough to put the star at the top of the industry’s sh*t list.
What happens next is anyone’s guess, but Hollywood insiders are talking, and it sounds like Phoenix is going to have to face the music one way or another.
In a juicy piece from The Hollywood Reporter, an anonymous studio executive confirmed “there’s been a huge amount of outrage” over Phoenix’s decision, adding there’s a strong possibility he could face legal action.
The reporting points to the fact that Phoenix has never been shy about his pre-filming anxiety, once telling Anderson Cooper he’s often “petrified” right before a shoot begins, worried he won’t be able to “find the right kind of place to express” his ideas. Sources also reveal he was near ready to drop out of last year’s historical epic Napoleon with Ridley Scott unless his friend and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was able to do rewrites on the script.
So, there’s some precedent for this behavior, but industry folks have been willing to put up with it given Phoenix is a highly acclaimed actor seen as a box-office draw, especially after he helped make Joker over a billion dollars (it was the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever until Deadpool & Wolverine came along this summer).
And speaking over Joker, many are wondering what this might mean for its upcoming musical sequel, Folie à Deux, hitting theaters this fall. While it’s unlikely the Phoenix/Haynes controversy would deter the general moviegoer from buying a ticket, it’s sure to come up in the press surrounding the film—that is, whether the actor actually does any press.
Perhaps we’ll find out when Joker: Folie à Deux makes its world premiere in a few short weeks at the Venice International Film Festival, ahead of its October 4 theatrical release. Frequently dubious entertainment news site World Of Reel claims it was also due for a spotlight at the New York Film Festival, but was potentially pulled for an undisclosed reason, leading to further speculation it was related to last week’s news, though take that with a huge grain of salt.
Considering the 2019 role won him his first Oscar for Best Actor, some pundits already had him pegged for another nomination at next year’s Academy Awards, but will Phoenix’s peers feel less inclined to honor the actor after he threw another project for esteemed filmmakers under the bus? It’s possible!
Meanwhile, his highly buzzed Folie à Deux co-star Lady Gaga is… teasing a duet with Bruno Mars? We doubt the upcoming “Die With A Smile” was devised solely as a distraction from Phoenix’s mess, but the timing of it is kind of funny, you’ve got to admit.
Point is, if Phoenix is going to want to promote the Joker sequel—or any of his movies ever again—he’s going to at least need to release some sort of statement about what went down, otherwise that’s all anyone’s going to ask him about.
Per The Hollywood Reporter piece, Phoenix likely won’t face much “career blowback,” and if he does get sued, it wouldn’t be an issue for him to settle and pay back for what was lost on the Todd Haynes production, especially because Folie à Deux‘s pretty much guaranteed to make bank.
The gays, on the other hand, won’t soon forget. You’re lucky you’re starring opposite Gaga in your next movie, Joaquin, because she’s just about the only person that could get us to support your work right now!
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inbama
His movies are all about watching him “act.”
Or should I say “overact?”
OzJay
Phoenix is weird and creepy. And he’s the worst kind of scenery-chewing, look-at-me-going-method actor. I have zero desire to see him apply his talents to a gay role.
CaseyBlackCAUSA
Yeah, wake me up when the actual actor in the family, River, is resurrected.
m
River was hotter and better actor
Jim
Good acting is when you forget who the actor is and that they’re acting (Judi Dench you are awesome).
I’ve better things to do than watch a hollywood celebrity draw attention to themselves.
Man About Town
I still don’t understand why the project had to be scrapped just because he withdrew from it. The filming hadn’t even started yet, so why can’t Haynes just replace him?
Ricanthony
Exactly! As if Hollywood isn’t crawling with actors who would kill for the opportunity. Good riddance to JP. Hope he fails.
Mattster
I have no inside info but given Phoenix originated the project, he might own rights to it. And given filming was set to start in 5 days that doesn’t give much time for a lot of well-known actors, who are often booked far in advance.
Jere
My understanding is that a chunk of the financing was contingent on Phoenix’s participation and when he quit…5 days before filming was due to start…there just wasn’t enough time to secure financing, let alone find a new leading actor. These are things that take weeks, if not months, not hours and days. In the pre-production process, there’s generally a “zero hour,” a day or time that is the absolute deadline for those involved to decide if they’re in or out. Once that moment passes, it’s all systems go and any kind of major withdrawal by any of the major players will, more likely than not, scuttle the film.
Kangol2
Why would anyone build a gay film–romance, thriller, anything–around this person. He is not appealing as an actor, despite his talent. They can’t find any out gay male actors (or straight ones) willing to step in and allow this film to happen? Really?
yup5hioop
this story is odd – he seems to want to copy Franco but being a straight princess about it. I don’t really care either way but the lunatics all think it’s some kind of Hollywood forces everybody to be gay thing.