AceShowbiz - Almost a decade before dropping out of Todd Haynes' gay romance, Joaquin Phoenix had also abandoned a different production: M. Night Shyamalan's "Split" (2016). James McAvoy, who ultimately starred in the film, recently revealed that Phoenix left the project mere weeks before filming began, leaving McAvoy with only 14 days to prepare for a role that demanded portraying 15 distinct personalities.

McAvoy downplayed any pressure he felt to emulate Phoenix's approach to the role, acknowledging that Phoenix's performance would have been unique and potentially even superior. "He's an amazing actor," said McAvoy. "I think he would have given a very different performance to the one I did, but I think he would have given an incredible performance."

Despite the last-minute casting, McAvoy praised Shyamalan's well-structured screenplay, which made it possible for him to quickly grasp the characters and their motivations. "The script was well put together so a lot of it was pretty clear what I wanted to do straight away," he said.

However, McAvoy faced challenges in developing all 15 personalities before the table read. "I'm sitting there like, 'God, I've got to do all these 15 characters and be judged by everybody in the room,' " he recalled. "It just came on really quick."

McAvoy's revelation highlights the recurring pattern of Phoenix leaving projects, including his high-profile departure from Haynes' film. While promoting his recent film "Joker: Folie à Deux" at the Venice Film Festival, Phoenix declined to comment on his decision to leave Haynes' project, stating that it would not be appropriate without the other creatives present.

McAvoy's performance in "Split", which he later reprised in the 2019 sequel "Glass", has become one of his most iconic roles. It also underscores the dynamic and sometimes unpredictable nature of the film industry, where last-minute changes and unexpected replacements can shape the direction of a production and the careers of its participants.