Queer favourite Pedro Pascal is set to star opposite Danny Ramirez in Todd Haynes’s upcoming movie De Noche. The pair will play gay lovers in this “subversive love story”.

According to the official synopsis, De Noche follows the “passionate and unexpected love affair between a cop (Pascal) and a boarding school teacher (Ramirez).” Set in 1930s Los Angeles, on the brink of World War II, the film portrays the two characters as they become targets of corrupt politicians and are forced to flee to Mexico.

The project was halted in 2025 after Joaquin Phoenix, who was supposed to star as the lead and was even credited as one of the writers, abruptly exited the movie only five days before filming was due to start. The actor’s decision to withdraw caused De Noche to shut down production.

Now the project has been officially revived, with Pedro Pascal stepping into the role vacated by Phoenix and reportedly playing a “hard-boiled detective opposite Danny Ramirez as his younger lover”.

The movie is now financed by MK2 Films, the French indie production company behind projects such as Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent. While no release date has been announced yet, filming is supposed to start next month.

Director Todd Haynes, who rose to fame for projects such as Carol, Far from Heaven and May December, is regarded as one of the most relevant filmmakers of queer storylines, as well as an outspoken activist. Speaking about De Noche, Haynes said: “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.”

“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,” added Haynes.