Killer Films’ Christine Vachon took to Facebook to confirm that Phoenix had abruptly exited the Todd Haynes-directed project, which was set to feature “explicit sexual content.”

The producer for Joaquin Phoenix’s gay romance spoke out after the actor abandoned the film; (Phoenix in November 2023)

Vachon defended the decision to cast Phoenix, a heterosexual actor, in a gay role, saying that the entire project was spearheaded by Phoenix himself. She emphasized that Killer Films has a strong track record of working with LGBTQ+ actors, crew, and directors.

The film, which was set in the 1930s, would have featured Phoenix and Top Gun: Maverick actor Danny Ramirez as onscreen lovers. The movie was expected to include “explicit sexual content” and would have been rated NC-17.

Killer Films’ Christine Vachon (L) took to Facebook on Friday to confirm the Oscar winner had abruptly exited the Todd Haynes (R)-directed project just five days before filming was due to commence in Mexico; (seen in 2021)

Phoenix developed the screenplay for the detective love story with Haynes and Jon Raymond. However, sources claim that Phoenix had reservations about the project, particularly the graphic sex scenes.

The film’s sets had already been built in Guadalajara, Mexico, before Phoenix’s sudden departure. The crew is now out of work, and stakeholders are still waiting to be paid.

Phoenix will next be seen onscreen in the Joker sequel, Folie à Deux, alongside Lady Gaga, set for release on October 4.

Joaquin dropped out of a gay romance film just five days before filming was due to commence in Mexico – after reportedly getting ‘cold feet’ over the project – (pictured November 2023)

In a separate report, Mark Wahlberg revealed that he passed up the opportunity to star in Brokeback Mountain due to feeling “creeped out” by the film’s same-sex storyline.

Mark Wahlberg passed up the opportunity to star in Brokeback Mountain due to feeling ‘creeped out’ by its same-sex storyline – pictured 2023

Wahlberg, now 53, could have starred in the 2005 Ang Lee epic, which netted three Oscars, but he reportedly felt uncomfortable with the film’s graphic content.

He told an interviewer in 2007 that he met with Ang Lee and read 15 pages of the script, but got “a little creeped out” by the film’s same-sex storyline.