Joaquin Phoenix To Star In X-Rated Gay Romance
Image: Joaquin Phoenix in 'Her'.
Joaquin Phoenix’s latest project will see him star in an NC-17-rated gay romance film. According to the director of the untitled film project, Todd Haynes, the actor pushed him for an NC-17 rating.
Haynes spoke to IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival, describing the duo’s upcoming project as a “gay love story”.
The director stated that the original script was developed with Phoenix as a “story writer”, and the actor was involved in the production and storyline of the film. “The next film is a feature film that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me”, Haynes said.
“Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit. And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s LA. Joaquin was pushing me further and going ‘no, let’s go further’’, Haynes added.
The NC-17 rating means that no one under the age of seventeen will be allowed to watch the film in cinemas in the United States.
Almost Starred In ‘Brokeback Mountain’
The Walk The Line actor has been involved in a number of projects recently, including filming for the prequel to the 2019 Joker film, where he earned the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2020. The prequel, Joker: Folie à deux, is slated for release in October 2024.
His latest film Beau is Afraid was released in cinemas just last month.
Known for playing characters in darker films like To Die For and Dark Blood the actor has received several awards for his array of work including the 2017 Cannes Best Actor Award (You Were Never Really Here), the 2020 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Joker) and the 2006 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Walk The Line).
The actor was originally set to play one of the two cowboys in Ang Lee’s 2005 drama Brokeback Mountain, beside Josh Hartnett before the parts were offered to Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Harnett revealed that he had to turn down the part because of a scheduling conflict with his 2006 film The Black Dahlia, stating “I’ve always wanted to kiss Joaquin, so that’s my biggest regret”.
