Todd Haynes’ cancelled gay romance gets resurrected, and it might feature Pedro Pascal.
The Enlightened director originally announced the film during a May 2023 interview with Indie Wire, revealing that he developed the script with Joaquin Phoenix “based on some thoughts and ideas he brought me.”
“We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me, 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,” he added.
A year later, movie enthusiasts were treated to an exciting cast update when Top Gun: Maverick star Danny Ramirez joined the project as Phoenix’s love interest.
While it seemed like everything was in line for Haynes’ film to move forward, production was hit with an unexpected roadblock in August 2024 – Phoenix’s abrupt departure five days before filming.
According to Variety, a source alleged that the Walk the Line star got “cold feet” due to the film’s graphic sex scenes.
Over the last year, the project has been in development purgatory, with no sight of it seeing the light of day… until now.
On 27 August, Deadline reported that the film – now titled De Noche – is set to be revived, with Pascal potentially joining Ramirez as its new co-lead.
Sources also told the news outlet that production in Guadalajara, Mexico will tentatively start in the new year, with much of the scheduling being worked around the Fantastic Four: First Steps star’s busy schedule.
As of this writing, a release date and additional plot details are being kept under wraps.
The exciting news comes a few months after Haynes broke his silence on Phoenix’s departure.
During his appearance at the Marrakech Film Festival on 6 December, the Far From Heaven director said: “What happened this summer was tough.”
While he refrained from sharing additional details about Phoenix’s exit, he unknowingly predicted the film’s revival, adding: “But the film itself and the script itself may resurrect in a different form someday.”
Pascal’s entry into De Noche comes at a very busy time in his career. In 2025, he starred in an array of films and TV series, including The Last of Us season two, Materialists, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Eddington – which also featured Phoenix.
He’s also set to star in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars films, reprising his critically acclaimed role as Reed Richards.
Stay tuned for more information about De Noche.
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