Pedro Pascal Was ‘Born to Play’ NC-17 Movie Role That Joaquin Phoenix Quit

Pedro Pascal may have found the role he was “born to play” after Joaquin Phoenix quit Todd Haynes’ upcoming movie. Producer Christine Vachon made the comment while praising Pascal’s performance in the reworked gay romance on Friday, August 14, 2026.

The film, titled De Noche, underwent a complete production overhaul after Phoenix walked away from the project in summer 2024 just days before filming was set to commence. Pascal eventually stepped in to lead the project alongside co-star Danny Ramirez.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, host Wendy Mitchell joked: “I actually like [Pascal] better than Joaquin Phoenix anyway,” to which Vachon responded: “I kind of do too!” The tightly packed crowd at Edinburgh’s Central Hall laughed with them.

Vachon continued, “It wasn’t an easy situation. And as I also stated, it was devastating that Todd didn’t get to make a movie again that year. If you take the Pollyanna, glass-half-full version, and ‘everything happens for a reason’ perspective, maybe the reason was that this was a role that Pedro was born to play. He is certainly extraordinary in the film, and by the way, so is Danny [Ramirez]. I mean, both of them are a revelation.”

Christine Vachon sees a silver lining in Joaquin Phoenix’s De Noche exit

De Noche was set to star Phoenix before he abruptly left the project just five days before filming. Vachon had previously called his departure “a tragedy” and explained how she and Haynes rebuilt the movie.

The production later got what Vachon described as a “do-over.” The team found a better filming location, while Pascal joined after Vachon worked with him on Celine Song’s romantic comedy-drama Materialists.

Vachon also praised Pascal’s personality by saying, “People always say to me, ‘Is he as nice as he seems?’ He is. People are so invested. They love him.”

Pascal and Ramirez now lead Haynes’ reworked romance. The film is currently in post-production and does not have a release date yet.

The project has been described as an NC-17 movie because of its explicit content. For Vachon, however, Phoenix’s exit ultimately created an opportunity to bring Pascal into a role she believes suits him perfectly.

Source: Comingsoon.net