Joaquin Phoenix has refused to address his last-minute exit from director Todd Haynes' gay romance film.
It was reported last month that Phoenix had exited the untitled film, which he co-wrote alongside Haynes and Jon Raymond, just five days before filming was scheduled to start in Guadalajara.
During a recent press conference at the Venice Film Festival to promote Joker: Folie à Deux, the Oscar winner was asked to address the reason behind his swift exit.
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However, Phoenix shut down the question, replying: "If I do [answer], I would just be sharing my opinion from my perspective and the other creatives aren’t here to say their peace, and it just doesn’t feel like that would be right.
"I’m not sure how that would be helpful. So I don't think I will."
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The NC-17 film was set to star Phoenix and Danny Ramirez as two men who fall in love and flee to Mexico during the 1930s.
Given Phoenix's late departure, Deadline reported that the project is now "dead", with no plans to recast his role.
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Phoenix will next be seen on the big screen alongside Lady Gaga in Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the 2019 film from Todd Phillips.
The actor reprises his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck, while Lady Gaga takes on the role of Harley Quinn.
It was recently confirmed that the sequel will be longer than the first movie (which had a runtime of just over two hours), clocking in at 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Joker: Folie à Deux is scheduled for a cinema release date of October 4. Joker is available to buy on Blu-ray or streaming now.
Read more Joker news on our dedicated homepage
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
