Todd Haynes' untitled romance film effectively shuts down as Joaquin Phoenix exits the production

Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix officially exits Todd Haynes’ untitled romance film, leading to a production shut down.

Todd Haynes’ untitled romance film appears to be closing its curtain as its star, Joaquin Phoenix, exits the production. Whispers about the movie falling apart have been circulating for a while, though Phoenix apparently left the set two weeks ago. Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick, On My Block, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) co-starred in the film alongside Phoenix, but without the Beau is Afraid actor attached, Haynes’ film is all but dead in the water.

According to sources, no plans exist to recast Phoenix’s role, and crew members are owed money. Phoenix reportedly walked from the project before San Diego Comic-Con kicked into high gear, and while Ramirez was at the show, he had no idea if he’d be returning to work afterward.

Haynes’ film revolves around two men who are intense lovers and leave California for Mexico. The reason for Phoenix’s exit is unclear. Still, some have wondered if the project’s intimate and explicit content was a factor. Phoenix is known for committing deeply to any role he accepts, though Haynes’ plans could have crossed a line.

Phoenix fans can look forward to the actor giving Arkham Asylum hell when he and Lady Gaga star in Joker: Folie À Deux, the anticipated sequel to Todd Phillips’ billion-dollar blockbuster, Joker. Early reactions to Folie À Deux paint the film as a unique blend of drama, musical, and violence.

In a social media post in March, GoldDerby reveals what it can about Joker: Folie à Deux, including Lady Gaga’s “transformative” performance as Harley Quinzel, the film’s musical elements, and how Phillips’ forthcoming film toys with DC lore, taking advantage of the Elseworlds aspect of the setup.

“Parts are chaotic for a reason,” GoldDerby posted online. “Parts are surrealistic also for a reason (and at least in part shot in B&W), parts are bloody (the chaotic part). Can’t spoil how exactly. It’s also very political as you would expect from Joker franchise. The person I spoke with was mighty impressed but caution it’s just on opinion.”

The post continues, “Gaga is indeed equal to Phoenix or even more cnetral. No way to fraud her in supporting. from what I understood, he doesn’t call her Harley buyt a nickname derived from it. I guess that has created a confusion whether she plays Harley or not (she does). They both perform sonds as a duel and some are just her singing. Songs are mix of old songs and new ones. Old one are sand in one part of movie, new/original ones in another. It isn’t all a singing movie. Famous characters appear in it. Some changes to lore since these movies are standalones from certain other DC franchise.”

There’s no telling if Todd Haynes’ untitled romance film will return to production. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for updates.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.