Todd Haynes Reveals ‘De Noche’ Starring Pedro Pascal and Danny Ramirez Will Be R-Rated, a Shift From Earlier Talk of an Explicit Gay Romance

Few upcoming films have had as bumpy a road as Todd Haynes’ 1930s gay romance. It lost its original star days before cameras were due to roll, vanished into limbo for more than a year, and then came back to life with one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors.

Now, with the film in post-production, a new detail is shaping expectations for what audiences will see.

‘De Noche‘ was first set to star Joaquin Phoenix opposite Danny Ramirez. Phoenix exited in August 2024, just five days before filming was due to begin in Guadalajara, Mexico, after spending years developing the project with Haynes and co-writer Jon Raymond.

Phoenix has declined to explain his decision. The project was revived in August 2025 when Pedro Pascal was reported to be circling the lead, and it was confirmed in February 2026 with French company MK2 Films financing.

Haynes has now revealed that ‘De Noche’ will be R-rated. He describes it as a complex and moving love story about masculinity and vulnerability.

The news stands in contrast to earlier comments. Haynes had previously said the film would be an NC-17 picture, and he described it in a 2023 interview as a love story between two men set in the 1930s with explicit sexual content. Phoenix reportedly pushed him to go further with the sex while they were developing the project.

An R rating suggests the finished film may pull back from the most explicit material, though it is still aimed at adults. The change has not been explained in detail.

The official synopsis follows the passionate and unexpected love affair between a cop and a boarding school teacher in 1930s Los Angeles, a city overtaken by corruption as the world edges toward war. The two men become targets of the corrupt political machine and are forced to flee to Mexico.

Pascal plays the detective, Richard Rent, and Ramirez plays the teacher, Joe Thomas. The story echoes classic noirs like ‘Chinatown’.

Haynes has said the story arises out of an era he sees as all too relevant to the present. He told Variety that it is an era of “domestic corruption, racial exploitation and global terror,” and that it is ultimately a testament to the power of desire and love to survive.

That framing fits his filmography. His earlier films include ‘Carol’ and ‘Far from Heaven’, and his last feature, ‘May December’, earned an Oscar nomination for best screenplay.

‘De Noche’ marks Pascal’s first collaboration with Haynes. It is also the third time he and Ramirez share the screen, after ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 and ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.

Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler produce through Killer Films. Vachon has praised both lead performances as revelatory, saying Pascal was born to play the role.

Production began in March, with set photos showing Pascal in 1930s costume, a vintage suit and fedora, while filming in Mexico City. The project had moved there from Guadalajara.

MK2 Films is handling international sales, and Cinetic Media co-represents domestic rights. No release date has been announced yet.

Some observers expect a 2027 premiere, with Cannes widely speculated as a possible destination. Until the studio confirms plans, that remains speculation.

Pascal has plenty of other projects in the pipeline. He reprises his role as Reed Richards in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which opens on December 18, and he appears in ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’. He also worked on Tony Gilroy’s ‘Behemoth!’.

Even so, ‘De Noche’ stands out as a risk for a star known for big franchises. It reunites him with an acclaimed director of queer cinema, in a story built around desire and danger.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!