How Pedro Pascal Turned Joaquin Phoenix’s De Noche Exit Into a ‘Happy Ending’

Todd Haynes’ upcoming romantic drama De Noche owes its revival to Pedro Pascal, according to producer Christine Vachon. The film was previously shelved after original lead star Joaquin Phoenix abruptly walked off the project days before shooting, but the story was later resurrected with Pascal taking over the role.

Speaking at Edinburgh International Film Festival, per Variety, Vachon credited Pascal for the movie’s revival. “I think we got the happy ending that we deserved, or that Todd deserved, which is Pedro Pascal ultimately playing the role,” she shared. “If you take the glass-half-full version of ‘everything happens for a reason,’ maybe the reason was that this was a role Pedro was born to play.”

Vachon explained that the movie did not undergo any major changes after Phoenix’s departure. The only tweak in the project was that the story was originally set in Guadalajara, but Pascal’s involvement shifted the setting to Mexico City. The producer added, “And obviously, Pedro brought his own interpretation of the character to the script.”

The story behind Joaquin Phoenix’s exit from De Noche

De Noche director Todd Haynes originally developed the script alongside Jon Raymond and Joaquin Phoenix, who pitched the concept of an explicit 1930s queer romance. The story follows a volatile LAPD cop and a schoolteacher (played by Danny Ramirez) who fall in love and flee to Mexico to escape political corruption.

However, in August 2024, just five days before principal photography was set to commence, Phoenix abruptly walked away from the project, reportedly due to “cold feet.” The unexpected exit led to the cancellation of the project, and the production company reportedly lost over a million dollars.

Vachon criticized Phoenix in a Facebook post at the time, saying, “It has been a nightmare. If you are tempted to finger wag or admonish us that ‘that’s what you get for casting a straight actor’ — DON’T. This was HIS project that he brought to US.” The producer had since deleted the post (per The Hollywood Reporter).

The project was officially revived in August 2025 under the title De Noche, with Pascal stepping in alongside co-star Danny Ramirez. Filming wrapped earlier this year across Mexico, with the feature currently targeting a release.

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