Pedro Pascal Replaces Joaquin Phoenix in Previously Canceled Movie From Acclaimed Director

Pedro Pascal has been cast in the lead role of a gay romance movie that was previously canceled after Joaquin Phoenix dropped out.

What do we know about De Noche with Pedro Pascal?

According to Variety, De Noche from director Todd Haynes has been resurrected, with Pascal stepping in for Phoenix. Pascal will play a “hard-boiled detective,” and Danny Ramirez will play his younger lover.

De Noche has been compared to classic noirs like Chinatown, the landmark 1974 mystery film starring Jack Nicholson. Per the synopsis, “The story charts the passionate and unexpected love affair between a cop (Pascal) and a boarding school teacher (Ramirez) in 1930s Los Angeles, when the city is overtaken by corruption and the world is on the brink of war. The two men become targets of the city’s corrupt political machine and are forced to flee to Mexico.”

De Noche originally had Phoenix in the starring role. In August 2024, Phoenix dropped out of the project five days before filming was set to begin in Mexico. With Phoenix out, the movie was canceled. In August 2025, speculation about a revival for Haynes’ movie surfaced once Pascal became involved.

“This story, with Pedro Pascal and Danny Ramirez in the two leads, arises out of an era — all too relevant to our own — of domestic corruption, racial exploitation, and global terror,” Haynes said in a statement. “But it emerges as a testament to the inexplicable powers of desire and love to survive and overcome even the most crippling of human barriers.”

Haynes will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Raymond. De Noche is Haynes’ first movie since the critically acclaimed May December, which earned a Best Original Screenplay nomination at the 2024 Oscars.

Filming is set to begin next month. De Noche does not have a release date.

Source: Comingsoon.net