Pedro Pascal is reportedly in talks to step into the lead role in De Noche, Todd Haynes’ long-anticipated gay period romance, which is now set for a dramatic revival. Pascal would star alongside The Last of Us co-star Danny Ramirez.

Production is expected to restart in early 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico, with scheduling arranged around Pascal’s other commitments, including his role in Fantastic Four: First Steps. The film was originally scheduled to be shot in 2024 with Joaquin Phoenix attached as the lead, and it seemed destined to move forward when Top Gun: Maverick star Danny Ramirez was confirmed as Phoenix’s on-screen partner.

However, in August 2024, Phoenix suddenly withdrew from the production just five days before filming was scheduled to begin. According to Variety, the actor got “cold feet”, reportedly due to the intensity of the script’s gay sex scenes. With no lead in place, the project was shelved, leaving Haynes and his team frustrated after months of preparation.

At the Marrakech Film Festival later that year, Haynes admitted Phoenix’s decision had been “tough” to process, given the amount of work already poured into the film. For a time, De Noche looked as though it might remain permanently stalled.

Set in the 1930s, De Noche follows two men who leave Los Angeles for Mexico, embarking on a love story against a backdrop of displacement and self-discovery. The project was first announced in May 2023, when Haynes revealed in an interview that Phoenix had originally approached him with the idea.

“We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me, Jon Raymond, and Joaquin share the story credit,” Haynes explained at the time.

While plot details remain deliberately vague, De Noche is set to capture both the glamour and repression of 1930s Los Angeles. For Haynes, whose previous work includes Carol and Far From Heaven, the project represents a continuation of his commitment to telling nuanced queer stories on screen.

With Pedro Pascal’s star power and Danny Ramirez’s rising profile, the highly anticipated gay romance could finally see the light of day after a turbulent year of uncertainty. A release date has yet to be announced, but anticipation is building for what promises to be one of Haynes’ most ambitious works to date. 

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