Joaquin Phoenix abandons movie 5 days before filming

Joaquin Phoenix gave up on one of his latest movie projects at the eleventh hour, exposing the picture to the risk of getting completely cancelled.

The 49-year-old Oscar winner was slated to portray the lead character in the gay romance movie directed by Todd Haynes.

According to Variety, sources reported on Friday that Phoenix is allegedly suffering “cold feet” and that’s why the actor unexpectedly exited the movie just five days before cast and crew were to start filming.

The movie, which is about two gay lovers who leave California for Mexico, included “dicey intimacy scenes,” according to Deadline.

According to Page Six, the Joker star was featured in the screenplay steadily, alongside Haynes and Jon Raymond.

“The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me,” the 63-year-old director shared with IndieWire in May 2023.

“We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit. And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s LA.”