Washington [US], June 14 (ANI): Seth Rogen has reiterated that he has no intention of reuniting professionally with long-time collaborator James Franco, saying his position on the matter remains unchanged years after the pair last worked together.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, the two-time Golden Globe winner said he has not spoken to Franco “in a long time” and does not foresee working with him again.
As per Deadline, Franco has been attempting an onscreen comeback after facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct that first emerged in 2018.
“I’m trying to think how much I want to personally share about this,” Rogen said, adding, “I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing. There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had, and I think the proof is in the pudding, I have not worked with him in years,” as quoted by Deadline.
The actor and filmmaker added that the issue remains deeply personal and involves people he does not want to draw into public discussion.
“But the personal side of it is just so nuanced, and it involves people that I don’t know if I should be dragging into this. I don’t know what I would benefit from getting deeply into it. Nothing has changed since the last time I talked about all this, and I haven’t worked with him in a really long time, and I have no plans to,” Rogen said, as quoted by Deadline.
Rogen and Franco first appeared together in NBC’s cult comedy-drama ‘Freaks and Geeks’ (1999-2000).
They later became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable comedy duos, sharing the screen in films including ‘Pineapple Express’ (2008), ‘This Is the End’ (2013), ‘The Interview’ (2014) and ‘The Disaster Artist’ (2017).
Franco previously acknowledged that his friendship with Rogen appeared to have ended.
Speaking to Variety in 2024, the actor said, “No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.”
In 2018, multiple women accused Franco of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Additional allegations later became public, including one case that was eventually settled, in which Franco was accused of intimidating students into gratuitous and exploitative sexual situations.
Despite the controversy, Franco has recently signalled a return to acting. Last month at Cannes, he revealed that he is appearing in a “big studio movie”, which would mark his first major studio project in nearly a decade.
His Italian drama Hey Joe, directed by Claudio Giovannesi, premiered in select theatres and on video-on-demand platforms in March.
For now, however, Rogen has made it clear that an onscreen reunion with his former collaborator is not part of his plans. (ANI)
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