Aug 27
Pedro Pascal Poised to Revive Todd Haynes’s Queer Romance ‘De Noche’
READ TIME: 3 MIN.
In a turn of events electrifying both Hollywood and LGBTQ+ cinema advocates, Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal is reportedly circling the lead role in Todd Haynes’s upcoming film, ‘De Noche’. The production—initially shuttered after the abrupt exit of original star Joaquin Phoenix—appears set for a dramatic revival, with Pascal’s involvement breathing new life into what many had feared was a lost project .
If finalized, Pascal would join Danny Ramirez, who remains attached as the story’s younger lover. The film follows a corrupt police officer and his lover as they flee from 1930s Los Angeles to Mexico, set against a volatile backdrop of social change and queer resilience .
‘De Noche’ was originally announced with Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix in the lead—a casting coup that generated industry buzz when the project was greenlit in 2023. However, just days before cameras were set to roll in Guadalajara, Mexico, Phoenix exited the film without public explanation, forcing an immediate shutdown of production .
Despite the setback, producers at Killer Films, backed by international distributors and sales agent M2K Film, kept faith in Haynes’s vision—a testament to the director’s reputation for nuanced, queer-centered storytelling. According to multiple reports, the production is now eyeing a January restart in Guadalajara, with the creative team prepared to accommodate Pascal’s increasingly demanding schedule. The actor, fresh off his second Emmy nomination for HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ and a trio of blockbuster film roles, is at the height of his career .
‘De Noche’ promises to be more than a period drama; it stands as a rare big-budget exploration of same-sex love in early 20th-century America. Co-written by Haynes, Phoenix, and Jon Raymond, the film is described as both an epic romance and a suspenseful escape drama, with early suggestions that its depiction of queer intimacy might earn it an NC-17 rating for sexual frankness .
The story’s focus on two men forced into exile by societal pressures in 1930s Los Angeles resonates powerfully with contemporary LGBTQ+ audiences, many of whom continue to see echoes of past persecution in current debates about LGBTQ+ rights and representation. The film’s choice to foreground a queer romance at its core—rather than relegating LGBTQ+ characters to the margins—marks a significant evolution in mainstream film narratives.
Todd Haynes, celebrated for his work on films such as ‘Carol’ and ‘Far from Heaven’, is no stranger to depicting queer lives with empathy and complexity. His collaboration with Pascal, whose star power and vocal advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights have earned him admiration across communities, signals an industry-wide shift towards authentic, inclusive storytelling .
For many LGBTQ+ viewers, the prospect of a high-profile romance between two men—portrayed by actors of color, set within a richly detailed historical context—represents not just visibility, but validation. The film’s setting in 1930s Los Angeles and Mexico also foregrounds intersections of race, sexuality, and migration, offering a nuanced look at how queer people navigated multiple forms of marginalization.
The announcement of Pascal’s possible involvement has generated a surge of excitement on social media, with fans and advocates alike praising the move as a “win for queer cinema” . Industry insiders note that studios and distributors have already shown strong interest, underscoring the growing commercial viability of LGBTQ+ stories in global markets .
If successful, ‘De Noche’ could pave the way for more ambitious queer-centered projects, proving that stories about LGBTQ+ love are both artistically vital and commercially robust.
As production gears up to restart in the new year, all eyes are on Pascal, Haynes, and the creative team to deliver a film that honors the complexity of queer love stories past and present. With its combination of star power, visionary direction, and a commitment to LGBTQ+ authenticity, ‘De Noche’ stands poised to become a milestone in queer cinema—and a testament to the enduring power of representation on screen.
