Pedro Pascal And Danny Ramirez Are Playing Lovers In Todd Haynes’ “De Noche”
It is finally official. After months of speculation and a rollercoaster of behind-the-scenes drama, Pedro Pascal has stepped in to save Todd Haynes’ highly anticipated gay romance film, De Noche. The internet’s favourite daddy is set to star opposite Top Gun: Maverick actor Danny Ramirez so there are high hopes the two will bring smouldering chemistry to the big screen.
The project seemed dead in the water last year after Joaquin Phoenix abruptly exited the film just days before production was scheduled to begin. But where one door closes, a much steamier one opens. Pascal has reportedly signed on to play the “hard-boiled detective” role originally intended for Phoenix, with Ramirez starring as his younger lover.
From The Last Of Us to 1930s lovers
For those who have been paying attention, this pairing is a bit of a reunion. Pascal and Ramirez shared the screen in The Last Of Us, but their dynamic in De Noche promises to be significantly more intimate. Of course, Pascal is no stranger to queer romance, having previously played lovers with Ethan Hawke in Pedro Almodóvar’s Strange Way Of Life.
Set in 1930s Los Angeles, the film follows a detective and a boarding school teacher who find themselves entangled in a passionate affair. The plot sounds like a gripping noir thriller, with the couple forced to flee to Mexico as they become targets of the city’s corrupt political machine.
Director Todd Haynes, the visionary behind queer classics like Carol and Far From Heaven, expressed his relief and excitement about the project’s revival. In a statement regarding the casting, Haynes noted that the story “arises out of an era all too relevant to our own of domestic corruption, racial exploitation and global terror”.
A production back from the dead
The road to this point has been rocky. When Phoenix walked away in 2024, it left the production in limbo and sparked endless industry chatter about whether the film would ever see the light of day. Reports at the time suggested the departure was due to “cold feet” over the film’s explicit content.
Thankfully, Pascal and Ramirez seem more than ready to tackle the material. With financing secured from French production company MK2 Films, shooting is scheduled to kick off next month in Guadalajara, Mexico.
It is a testament to the power of a good script that De Noche has managed to survive such a major setback and emerge with such a stellar cast.
While we do not have a release date yet, the mere thought of Pascal and Ramirez in a 1930s noir romance is enough to keep us going.
