Joaquin Phoenix Drops Out of Gay Romance 5 Days Before Shooting Was to Begin

The untitled film was shelved indefinitely after Phoenix's exit

Joaquin Phoenix has backed out of Todd Haynes' gay romance just days before it was scheduled to begin filming. Now, the movie has been shelved altogether.

Phoenix was set to star in the untitled film as a man fleeing to Mexico with his lover but pulled out five days ahead of production in Guadalajara, Mexico. He never made it to Mexico and instead exited the project from Los Angeles, per IndieWire, the outlet was the first to report. Phoenix developed the movie with Haynes and author Jon Raymond. Killer Films was set to produce and MK2 was the sales rep.

It isn't clear why Phoenix dropped out, but finances were likely a factor, IndieWire reports, as Variety reports the actor got “cold feet.” International sales for the movie started before the European Film Market in February. However, the project began to decline in July.

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Insiders told the outlet last year that the film was going to take place in the 1930s with an NC-17 rating, meaning it's inappropriate for those younger than 18.

“Joaquin was pushing me further and going ‘No, let’s go further.’ This will be an NC-17 film,” Haynes said to IndieWire at the time, adding, “The whole experience was prompted by Joaquin. It was prompted by his daring, his desire to push through barriers and to really get into the uncomfortable places about this relationship. And yet it felt like a very organic process.”

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Now that Phoenix is out, the film is no longer happening, Deadline reports, adding that the future of the movie, which was also supposed to star Danny Ramirez, has been uncertain ever since Phoenix left the set a couple of weeks ago, and crew members have yet to be paid.

Producer Christine Vachon confirmed Phoenix's exit on Facebook.

"A version of this did happen," she began on Friday, Aug. 9. "It has been a nightmare."

She went on to defend the decision to cast Phoenix, who is heterosexual, as a gay character.

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"And PLEASE -- if you are tempted to finger wag or admonish us that "that's what you get for casting a straight actor" --DON'T," she continued. "This was HIS project that he brought to US-- and Killer's record on working with LGBTQ actors/crew/directors speaks for itself. (and for those of you who HAVE-- know that you are making a terrible situation even worse)."

Meanwhile, Haynes is said to be moving on to his next project, the limited series Trust that he's writing alongside Raymond, per IndieWire.

Phoenix is reprising his role as The Joker in Joker: Folie à Deux, out later this year.

PEOPLE reached out to a representative for Phoenix for comment.

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