Joaquin Phoenix's abrupt exit from Todd Haynes' latest film is causing a huge amount of outrage among Hollywood producers. The Oscar winner departed Todd Haynes' drama just five days before production began. The untitled film, also starring 'Captain America: Brave New World's' Danny Ramirez, was said to focus on an intense gay romance in the 1930s. According to multiple sources, Phoenix got cold feet in the lead-up to the production - though the reasons remain unclear – and is said to be particularly surprising, given that Phoenix first brought the project to Haynes and his longtime producers at Killer Films.
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00:00Joaquin Phoenix's abrupt exit from Todd Haynes' latest film is causing a huge amount of outrage
00:06among Hollywood producers.
00:08The Oscar winner departed Haynes' drama just five days before production began.
00:13The untitled film, also starring Captain America Brave New World's Danny Ramirez, is set to
00:18focus on an intense gay romance in the 1930s.
00:22According to multiple sources, Phoenix got cold feet in the lead-up to production, though
00:26the reasons remain unclear and is said to be particularly surprising given that Phoenix
00:31first brought the project to Haynes and is longtime producers at Killer Films.
00:36According to sources, this now opens the actor up to the possibility of legal action.
00:40One studio exec says of the reaction, there has been a huge amount of outrage.
00:45Insiders pointed to examples throughout Hollywood history of actors being held accountable for
00:49leaving films without a star, including Bruce Willis dropping out of a never-finished Disney
00:54film, Broadway Brawler, mid-production, after which he had to sign on for three Disney movies
01:00at below his market rate as a make-good.
01:02Phoenix is known to get cold feet ahead of filming on various projects.
01:06Two sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that he threatened to leave Ridley Scott's Napoleon
01:10unless his The Master filmmaker, Paul Thomas Anderson, was brought in to do rewrites.
01:15The controversy comes as Phoenix prepares to take The Joker, Folie Aux Deux, to Venice
01:20and likely to other festivals.
01:22The film drops in theaters October 4.
01:25For more info on this story, head to THR.com.
01:28And for the latest entertainment news and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News.