Veteran independent film producer Christine Vachon, co-founder of Killer Films, addressed the Joaquin Phoenix departure from Todd Haynes' upcoming film 'De Noche' and discussed her career making provocative, often controversial movies, ahead of the world premiere of her latest production 'Pretty Babies' at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Vachon on the Joaquin Phoenix exit from 'De Noche'
Vachon told the Guardian that she had no inkling of trouble before Phoenix pulled out five days before shooting was due to begin in August 2024. The project, a gay, sexually explicit period love story set in 1930s Los Angeles, was originally brought to Haynes by Phoenix. The actor's departure led to estimated losses that 'could exceed seven figures,' according to Variety.
'You know, I really didn't,' Vachon said when asked if she anticipated the exit. 'Look, I don't know what happened. He decided he didn't want to do it. And, you know, I went to Guadalajara with a mop.' She added that the film was revived by 'the passion of Todd and Pedro' — referring to Pedro Pascal, who replaced Phoenix as the lead opposite Danny Ramirez.
Vachon declined to discuss whether Phoenix will receive a credit on the film he co-created and then abandoned. When asked if she would work with Phoenix again, she replied: 'I don't know. That's a difficult question to answer. I'm not sure Joaquin would want to work with me again.'
Killer Films' legacy of provocative cinema
Vachon's production company Killer Films, founded in 1995 with Pamela Koffler, has a logo of a cartoon bunny with a target for a body, reflecting its blend of irreverence and danger. 'I don't think we've ever made a movie that somebody hasn't been offended by,' Vachon said in 2000.
The company's early hits included Todd Haynes' 'Poison' (1991), which won the Sundance grand jury prize and sparked a political firestorm after receiving a National Endowment for the Arts grant. 'That triggered an eruption in Congress: "Your tax dollars are being used to fund a movie about homosexuals spitting in each other's mouths and touching each other's dicks!"' Vachon recalled. 'Suddenly there were lines around the block to see the film. Yes, the controversy helped. But what really helped was an under-represented audience getting to see itself on screen.'
Other controversial Killer Films releases include 'Kids' (1995), about delinquent teens having unprotected sex, and 'Happiness' (1998), which featured a paedophile father. 'If you made the 2026 version [of Kids], it probably would be shocking,' Vachon said. 'Or you might say: All you've got to do is go on TikTok.'
'Pretty Babies' and the new generation of filmmakers
Vachon's latest production, 'Pretty Babies,' written and directed by newcomer Tyler-Marie Evans, follows two aspiring teenage actors who run off to Los Angeles and slide into sex work. The film premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
'We love to encourage stories that feel personal and provocative and have something to say,' Vachon said of what makes the film a Killer production. 'It was not as if Tyler's script was utterly original in terms of the issues she was dealing with. But she approached them in an original way. She has a real point of view and she can speak about her work very well.'
At a recent screening, Evans explained that she intends the movie 'to show that sexually objectified young women ask themselves the same questions as Dostoevsky.'
Producer credits and the changing industry
'Pretty Babies' lists three producers — Vachon, Jordan Wagner, and star Ashley Benson — along with 36 other names in executive producer, associate producer, and other roles. Vachon described the question of who is entitled to a credit as 'a source of distress and consternation and real knock-down, drag-out fights.'
'A movie like Pretty Babies has an unproven director and a provocative subject matter. If somebody's willing to put their money at risk, a credit tends to be what they want in exchange,' she said.
Vachon also reflected on the challenges of being a female producer in the 1990s, when she was known for having a 'formidable temper,' according to film historian Peter Biskind. 'I didn't mind if people thought that, because it was so hard to be a female producer. You were damned either way: if you had a temper, you were a bitch, and if you didn't, it meant people could walk all over you. Whereas if you were a man and you showed any sign of anger, you were commended for being tough,' she said.
Vachon signed off with a joke about the deal-making nature of her profession: 'How many producers does it take to change a lightbulb? Does it have to be a lightbulb?'
