Joaquin Phoenix is set to appear in one of the most anticipated films of the 2024 film calendar, but right now much of the conversation surrounding the actor is centered on a movie he won't be in. The eleventh hour It was a gay romance that was going to star Joaquin Phoenix and be directed by CarolTodd Haynes before it all fell apart. Joaquin Phoenix was recently asked about his decision to leave the project, and while he doesn't say much, his answer is still revealing.
Phoenix was present at the Venice Film Festival, where the Joker: Folly of Two The cast was on hand to talk about the new movie that is or isn't actually a musical. During a press conference (via Deadline) The actor was asked about his decision to leave. The eleventh hour Just days before filming was set to begin, the actor declined to elaborate on his reasons, in part because the other filmmakers weren't there to tell their side of the story. Phoenix said…
I think if I did, I would just be sharing my opinion from my perspective and the other creators wouldn't be here to say what they think. I don't think that would be right. I'm not sure how that would be helpful, so I don't think I would do it.
While Joaquin Phoenix does not explain his decision, he does make it clear that his perspective on the situation with The eleventh hour and the creators' would likely differ, indicating some sort of disagreement between the actor and the filmmakers over the project. It certainly implies that whatever your perspective, others are likely to have a different opinion on what happened.
The eleventh hour It was a period film, set in the 1930s, that was also a gay romantic drama. It would have co-starred Danny Ramirez, who we'll see next in the Captain America: Brave New World Cast. A producer of The eleventh hour She did make some public comments about the film's failure. Christine Vachon called the situation “a nightmare” in a now-deleted Facebook post. Vachon also spoke about the decision to cast two straight actors in a gay romance, though it's unclear if that had anything to do with the film's failure.
Joaquin Phoenix's decision to drop out of the film is especially surprising because it was reportedly the actor who pitched the project to director Todd Haynes. At one point, it was something the actor specifically wanted to do, which seems to indicate that whatever Phoenix's reasons were for leaving the project, they were important.
In most cases like this, a project would simply be delayed and a new lead would be sought. That's what happened when Rooney Mara took one of the lead roles in Todd Haynes's The Last of Us. Carol. But that won't happen here. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, Phoenix's role won't be replaced, so the film will almost certainly be unsuccessful.
Considering the work and money that was spent to get the movie to the point of filming, it's not surprising that people are clearly upset, although it may be some time before we know what happened.