▁with ▁his ▁brother , ▁Paul ▁Sch r ader , ▁on ▁The ▁Y aku za , ▁was ▁h ired ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁script . ▁However , ▁B aben co ▁remained ▁w ary ▁of ▁ang lic izing ▁the ▁source ▁material , ▁and ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁by ▁the ▁casting ▁of ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁actor ▁Ra ul ▁Julia , ▁who ▁replaced ▁Richard ▁G ere . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁rum ors ▁circul ated ▁in ▁the ▁press ▁that ▁Lanc aster ▁had ▁a ▁pen chant ▁for ▁cross - d ress ing , ▁and ▁B aben co ▁attempted ▁to ▁disp el ▁the ▁sc andal ▁at ▁the ▁C annes ▁Film ▁Festival ▁by ▁telling ▁a ▁French ▁gay ▁tab lo id ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁know ▁Lanc aster ▁was ▁hom osex ual ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁cast . ▁Although ▁B aben co ▁intended ▁to ▁imply ▁that ▁Lanc aster ▁was ▁not ▁gay , ▁and ▁his ▁sexual ▁orientation ▁had ▁nothing ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁the ▁actor ' s ▁invol vement ▁with ▁the ▁film , ▁his ▁statement ▁was ▁taken ▁out ▁of ▁context ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁published , ▁and ▁prompt ed ▁further ▁in quisition ▁into ▁Lanc aster ' s ▁personal ▁life . ▁This , ▁along ▁with ▁Lanc aster ' s ▁adv ancing ▁age , ▁and ▁a ▁heart ▁by pass ▁operation ▁in ▁A pr ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁caused ▁the ▁production ▁to ▁be ▁delayed , ▁and ▁the ▁film m akers ▁turned ▁to ▁William ▁H urt ▁as ▁a ▁replacement . ▁The ▁morning ▁after ▁H urt ▁cons ented ▁to ▁the ▁role , ▁We is man ▁and ▁B aben co ▁met ▁with