In a dramatic turn of events for Hollywood production, Pedro Pascal has officially stepped in to save Todd Haynes' long-awaited gay romance film De Noche, following Joaquin Phoenix's abrupt departure from the project over a year ago. The casting shift comes after Phoenix reportedly developed what sources describe as "cold feet" just days before principal photography was scheduled to commence.
A Last-Minute Exit That Shook Production
According to industry reports, Joaquin Phoenix made the startling decision to exit the then-untitled detective love story merely five days before filming was set to begin in July 2024. The production had already constructed entire sets in Guadalajara, Mexico, where shooting was due to take place, leaving cast and crew in a precarious position with the sudden vacancy.
An executive speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the time revealed that Phoenix's departure generated "a huge amount of outrage" within the production team. Variety reported that the Joker star's last-minute withdrawal stemmed from getting "cold feet" about the project's explicit content and challenging themes.
Phoenix's Cryptic Response to the Departure
When questioned about his exit from De Noche during a 2024 press conference for Joker: Folie à Deux, Phoenix offered an enigmatic response that avoided direct explanation. "I think, if I do, I'd just be sharing my opinion from my perspective and the other creatives aren't here to say their piece," he stated. "I just don't feel like that would be right. I'm not sure how that would be helpful. So, I just don't think I will."
This pattern of pre-production anxiety is reportedly familiar for the Oscar-winning actor, with The Hollywood Reporter noting that Phoenix nearly dropped out of the 2023 biopic Napoleon as well, insisting that his trusted collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson be brought on board for rewrites.
Pascal's Official Entry and Project Details
The film's new production company, MK2 Films, confirmed on Wednesday that Pedro Pascal has officially joined the cast of De Noche, where he will star opposite Top Gun: Maverick actor Danny Ramirez. Pascal himself confirmed the news through an Instagram post featuring a carousel of images from Haynes' previous films alongside a photograph with his new co-star.
This collaboration marks the third professional partnership between Pascal and Ramirez, following their work together on the second season of HBO's The Last of Us and the forthcoming Marvel film Avengers: Doomsday. Production is scheduled to begin next month, according to the latest announcements.
The Film's Provocative Nature and Historical Setting
De Noche follows an unexpected romance between a detective, played by Pascal, and a boarding school teacher, portrayed by Ramirez, in 1930s Los Angeles. The narrative sees the pair forced by circumstances to flee to Mexico, navigating a landscape of domestic corruption, racial exploitation, and global terror.
Director Todd Haynes, renowned for his queer cinema including Oscar-nominated Carol (2015) and May December (2023), described the project to Variety as "a love story between two men set in the '30s that has explicit sexual content." He further elaborated that the film was originally developed with Phoenix based on "fragments of ideas" the actor brought to the project, with Phoenix reportedly pushing the material "further into more dangerous territory, sexually."
The film was initially slated to receive an NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association, the highest classification indicating material inappropriate for children under 17. Haynes emphasized that the relationship depicted would "challenge" audiences, creating what he described as "a testament to the inexplicable powers of desire and love to survive and overcome even the most crippling of human barriers."
Production Team and Industry Reception
MK2 Films will produce De Noche alongside Killer Films, Paloma Negra Films, and producers Jonathan Montepare and Steven Demmler, in association with Cinetic Media. Fionnuala Jamison, managing director of MK2 Films, expressed strong confidence in the project, stating: "Few filmmakers connect with audiences as strongly as Todd Haynes. De Noche carries that same power, and with Killer Films and a remarkable cast led by Pedro Pascal, it is a stand-out project we are proud to be a part of and share with buyers."
Haynes first teased the project in a 2023 interview with Variety, though development traces back further with Phoenix originally working on the screenplay alongside Haynes and the director's longtime collaborator Jon Raymond. The director had previously described it as an "original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me."
With Pascal now at the helm alongside Ramirez, the production appears to have recovered from its earlier setback, moving forward with what promises to be one of the more provocative and challenging romantic dramas of the coming year. The casting shift represents a significant development in a project that has already generated considerable industry attention through its turbulent pre-production phase and explicit thematic content.
