Christine Vachon: ‘Happy ending’ as Pedro Pascal replaces Joaquin Phoenix in Todd Haynes’ ‘De Noche’
Christine Vachon calls a casting shake-up on Todd Haynes’ De Noche a happy ending — the surprise is who stepped in.
At the Variety Lounge during the Edinburgh International Film Festival, producer Christine Vachon said Todd Haynes’ long-stalled romance De Noche is finally moving forward after a star swap — and that the creative blueprint remains intact. The biggest tweak came behind the scenes: the production shifted its setting within Mexico, moving from Guadalajara to Mexico City.
The project was originally set to star Joaquin Phoenix and was halted when he exited in 2024. With Pedro Pascal now stepping into the lead, Vachon said the movie has the momentum it needed, with her and producing partner Pamela Koffler backing Haynes as the film restarts.
“I think we got the happy ending that we deserved, or that Todd deserved, which is Pedro Pascal ultimately playing the role,” Vachon said.
What it’s about
Set in 1930s Los Angeles, De Noche follows police officer Richard Rent and boarding-school teacher Joe Thomas, who become targets of a corrupt political machine. Forced to flee to Mexico, their journey through jungles and along the coast draws them into a deepening relationship that pushes both men to grapple with their past and with violence closing in.
De Noche is directed by Todd Haynes and produced by Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler. The film was previously packaged with Phoenix alongside Danny Ramirez before the 2024 shutdown. According to Vachon, recasting Pascal didn’t require any dramatic story changes beyond the move to Mexico City.