Pedro Pascal And Danny Ramirez Eyed For Todd Haynes’ Shelved Gay Romance, “De Noche”
What is De Noche?
Todd Haynes is reviving a 1930s-set love story about two men who flee Los Angeles for Mexico. The film has been described as explicit, emotionally intense, and focused on a corrupt cop and his younger lover. Reports note the story’s graphic intimacy and an intended NC-17 rating in earlier iterations.
Pedro Pascal is circling the lead role in Todd Haynes’ gay romance ‘DE NOCHE’ alongside Danny Ramirez.
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 27, 2025
They’ll play two men in love who leave Los Angeles for Mexico. pic.twitter.com/Ol2YA3Htpb
Who is circling the lead roles.
Pedro Pascal is in talks to take the role originally lined up for Joaquin Phoenix, with Danny Ramirez attached as the romantic lead opposite him. Multiple outlets say producers are working to align schedules so the project can move ahead.
Why the project stalled.
Production halted last year when Phoenix exited five days before cameras were set to roll. Producer Christine Vachon later called the chain of events “a nightmare” in a post acknowledged by trade coverage. Haynes had previously said Phoenix helped push the script into “more dangerous territory, sexually,” which heightened conversation around the film’s explicit aims.
Pedro Pascal is reportedly circling Todd Haynes’ gay romance film, ‘De Noche.’
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 28, 2025
Joaquin Phoenix was previously attached but dropped out days before production. pic.twitter.com/LI4cK6DZPa
Where and when it could shoot.
Current reporting points to Guadalajara, Mexico, with production eyed for early 2026 if negotiations close and schedules hold. That timeline tracks with the revived plan to mount the shoot after last year’s shutdown.
Why this pairing matters.
Pascal has toggled across genres this year with Materialists, Eddington, and The Fantastic Four, while Ramirez’s profile surged with Top Gun Maverick and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Bringing them together in a period romance from the director of Carol and May December signals an unapologetically adult take on desire, power and consequence.
At DNA, we are watching for a performance-driven piece that treats intimacy as part of the narrative, not window dressing.
Killer Films, led by Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, is producing. That continuity matters, given Vachon’s long history with Haynes and her recent collaboration with Pascal on Materialists. The package suggests a set of creatives who know how to deliver challenging stories within tight parameters.
— Artie (@artwonderx) August 27, 2025
If Pascal signs, expect renewed casting confirmations, a firm shoot window, and clarity on rating and distribution as the film moves through pre-production again. Would you line up for a bracing, period-set romance that does not look away from sex or power? We would.
