Pascal in talks to lead Haynes' De Noche, Guadalajara shoot planned

Pedro Pascal is in talks to take the lead in Todd Haynes' long-delayed period romance De Noche, potentially replacing Joaquin Phoenix, with production now expected to begin in Guadalajara, Mexico, in early 2026, multiple entertainment outlets reported. Pascal would play one half of a 1930s love story opposite Danny Ramirez, who remains attached to the project, according to the reports.

The film was thrown into upheaval last summer when Phoenix abruptly left the project just before it was due to start shooting on location in Guadalajara. Accounts differ on the precise timing of his exit, with some reports saying he departed five days before cameras were set to roll and others saying it occurred roughly two weeks ahead of production. Phoenix, who helped develop the screenplay with Haynes and writer Jon Raymond, has not publicly explained his decision. At the Venice International Film Festival in September, he said, "If I do speak about the reasoning, I'd just be sharing my opinion from my perspective, and the other creatives aren't here to say their piece, and it just does not feel like that would be right."

The collapse of the original schedule left sets partially constructed and...