Todd Haynes says new Pedro Pascal film 'De Noche' will 'most likely' be R-rated

Todd Haynes opened France's Lumière Festival in Lyon on Saturday night with fresh details on De Noche, his long-gestating Pedro Pascal romance — and a hint about its rating. With filming wrapped but no release date set, Haynes said the movie will “most likely be an R-rated film,” though he saw no need to make its visual language “prurient.”

The project, which co-stars Danny Ramirez, was revived after Joaquin Phoenix abruptly exited in 2024. On the red carpet ahead of the gala, Haynes described the story as nothing less than a love story. “What’s going on between the two men is so complex and so moving, but ultimately, it’s a love story,” he said.

“They’re exposing themselves to each other, and they’re exploring things about their masculinity, their vulnerability.”

A 1938 backdrop with a classic pairing

Set in 1938, De Noche shares its historical setting with Ettore Scola’s A Special Day, the 1977 classic starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, which Haynes introduced as the festival’s opening-night screening. The film follows an encounter between a housewife and a gay man in Fascist Rome.

“Anyone can identify with what’s happening,” Haynes said. “The sort of armor of masculinity is particular to men.” The 1938 setting, he added, brings its own cultural barriers to the romance at the film’s center.

Haynes is in Lyon for a masterclass and a retrospective featuring Poison, Safe, Far from Heaven and I’m Not There. The nine-day festival runs 163 films and more than 400 screenings across the city.

Joel and Ethan Coen will accept the festival’s Lumière Award at its climax on Oct. 16, joining a roll call that includes Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Jane Campion.