US EditionNeon Halts 'Together' China Release After Unauthorized AI Edit Erases Gay Couple
- The Australian horror film Together, featuring performances by Dave Franco and Alison Brie, underwent digital alterations to change a same-sex couple into a heterosexual pair during select screenings in China in September 2025.
- The change replaced a same-sex male couple with a heterosexual pair by using AI to swap one male actor's face for a woman's, complying with local censorship rules.
- Viewers noticed the alteration after side-by-side images circulated on social media, sparking backlash and alarm on platforms like Douban, where the film holds a 6.9 rating.
- Neon, the film's global distributor, condemned the unauthorized edit by Chinese distributor Hishow and demanded the cessation of distribution of the altered version.
- This event highlights China's ongoing censorship of LGBTQ+ content in media, reflecting broader policies restricting queer representation and leading to altered foreign films in the market.
59 Articles
59 Articles
Together pulled from Chinese cinemas after an “unauthorised” edit of a gay couple
Together has been pulled from Chinese cinemas after a local distributor edited a gay couple into a heterosexual couple. In July and August, moviegoers in the US, UK, and Europe were treated to the highly anticipated body horror film, starring real-life married actors Alison Brie (Community) and Franco (Now You See Me). Written and directed by Michael Shanks, the film follows Tim (Franco) and Millie (Brie), a couple who “find themselves at a cros…
U.S. film company condemns edit of horror film in China to make a gay couple straight
A Chinese film company is being criticized for an apparent edit of a scene in the horror movie Together that swaps the face of a man for a woman to make a gay couple appear straight. Editing films for Chinese distribution isn’t new — but one expert says this isn't how it's usually done.
China’s film censor body uses AI to turn gay couple straight in wedding scene, sparks debate
The Mainland China version of Dave Franco’s horror film ‘Together’ uses AI to transform a gay wedding into a heterosexual one, reminding many of how films like Brokeback Mountain would fare today
"What's happening outside the film is even more terrifying than what's shown in it," a social media user in China marked after it emerged that a same-sex...
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