James Franco holds one of the most impressive records as an actor and filmmaker in the entertainment industry, but the s-xual misconduct allegations against him from a few years back really derailed his career. If anything, the accusations even had the actor going on a hiatus for a few years after he was largely cast out of mainstream Hollywood for several years.
Even now, it seems, numerous fans are continuing to hold him on their ‘Blacklisted’ list. This was evident after X handle @GothicHeros shared a tweet featuring Franco’s Harry Osborn standing next to Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker, with the caption pitting the two together as the X user wrote,
Imagine if they reunite in #AvengersDoomsday pic.twitter.com/UEY1FNL7TU
However, instead of gaining excitement over it from the fans, the tweet was met with some rather disappointed reactions as fans pointed out how he’s ‘cancelled’ and ‘banned’ from Hollywood to grace his appearance in a Marvel movie (check out the comment section). Like @spideyfeelings’s response on X, in which she wrote,
James Franco is banned from Hollywood. https://t.co/YpyTC9Q48f
For those who don’t know, in 2018, James Franco was accused of s-xually inappropriate behavior by five women. While he has since owned up to his past mistakes, it seems like it will take him quite some time to truly get back on track. But that’s not to say that he has completely stepped away from his work, considering the projects Franco has worked on since the allegations.
James Francoʼs Upcoming Projects Since Misconduct Allegations
Per his official IMDb page, James Franco’s upcoming movies as an actor include nine projects, three of which are currently filming, two are in post-production, one is in pre-production, and three are completed.
The first of these is Bunny-Man, in which the actor is credited for the role of Austin Boyd. The film is yet to get a final release date. Its plotline, though, has been summarized on IMDb as,
The BUNNY- MAN is a multimillionaire and an anonymous famous rapper who wears a bunny mask. He had the perfect life once upon a time, but now he is a superhero hunting the culprits whose actions led to his sister’s suicide.
Then there’s Toad, a comedy flick, which is currently filming and has been described by IMDb as,
Two naive slackers accidentally ingest psychedelic toads while transporting them, leading to a wild hallucinogenic road trip from LA to Vegas.
Next off, there’s The Razor’s Edge, which is currently in post-production, and in which James Franco has been credited for the role of Dante. Per IMDb, the official synopsis of this action-thriller is,
A former mob hitman faces a dilemma when his daughter is kidnapped and his love interest targeted. He must take on a final, dangerous job while evading a ruthless assassin.
Following this is The Long Home, an R-rated completed drama about “a young contractor” who is “hired to build a honky-tonk in Tennessee by the man who killed his father.” In this one, Franco will not only act as Dallas Hardin, but he’s also the director (via IMDb).
Then there’s the thriller Kill the Czar, which has listed the actor among its top cast without letting out his character’s name. Per IMDb, this film, which is reportedly completed, is about:
A mysterious outsider’s life turns upside down when she’s blackmailed by an evil filmmaker to carry out an extraordinary act of violence. She winds up in a brutal fight to save the woman she loves.
Adding to this is Golden State Killer, which is also completed, and is a psychological horror/serial killer crime flick. With Franco credited among the cast, the storyline reportedly “follows the Golden State Killer, a serial r-pist and murderer who terrorized California during the 1970s and ‘80s.” (Via IMDb.)
Coming in hot after that is Free Texas, which is currently in pre-production, and in which James Franco has been credited to play a character named Warren. Per IMDb, this one is “a dystopian action thriller about a covert American Platoon behind enemy lines finding safe harbor with an Arabic Family, then pushed to the brink of what they thought humanly possible.”
Another upcoming film of his is Foster, which is currently filming, and in which he plays Donald ‘Don’ Foster. The storyline of the same has been summarized on IMDb as,
A recovering addict’s quiet life shatters when an addict leaves her son with him. Now hunted by his ex-crime boss Brooks, Don must protect the boy while confronting his past and the mother’s dangerous choices.
Last off, there’s Castro’s Daughter, a Spanish historical drama biography that is currently in post-production. This project has listed Franco as Fidel Castro, and is a biopic about Alina Fernandez, who was Castro’s exiled daughter (via IMDb).
As of this writing, none of these movies has received a final release date except for Bunny-Man, which lists 2025 as its release year, though no confirmed release date has been revealed.
Apart from these, James Franco is also set to serve as an executive producer on an Untitled ‘90s Project, as well as serve as a producer on The Long Home and the television short James Franco ‘Art Projects’.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that, since the allegations against him surfaced, Franco had also starred in 2019’s Arctic Dogs before going on a hiatus. He then returned in 2024 with the TV series Karantina, The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure, and Hey Joe. His latest film was Squali, from earlier this year, which was released in Italy.
What Did James Franco Say About the Allegations and Blacklisting?
Back in January 2018, James Franco was accused of s-xual misconduct by five women, four of whom were his acting students, per an article from the Los Angeles Times. That same month, Sarah Tither-Kaplan, who was reportedly one of his victims, told Good Morning America that the actor “abused his power by exploiting the non-celebrity women that he worked with under the guise of giving them opportunities.” (Via PEOPLE.)
However, at the time, Franco’s attorney denied the allegations and cited the star’s 2018 comments on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as his formal denial of the same. He had said (via PEOPLE),
The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for so long. So I don’t want to, you know, shut them down in any way.
Following that, in 2021, that actor reached a deal with Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, both of whom were his former acting students who filed a s-xual misconduct lawsuit against him in 2019. As per the records from the Los Angeles Superior Court, he reportedly agreed to pay $2,235,000 in the settlement (via PEOPLE).
That same year, during his interview on Jess Cagle’s podcast, James Franco also opened up about his past, admitting that he had been involved with some of his students and sought treatment for s-x addiction after everything. In his more recent interview with Variety, he also opened up about being essentially blacklisted from Hollywood, saying,
I mean, it is what it is. I’ve honestly moved past it. It was dealt with, and I got to change. So that’s it, it’s over. I mean, I’ve worked in the U.S. too. So I’m just trying to move on.
Adding to this, he also explained that he feels somewhat grateful for the entire ordeal and how everything eventually turned out. Franco said,
Yes, of course, rejection is painful, being told you’re bad is painful. But ultimately, that’s kind of what I needed to just stop going the way I was going.
That said, now that James Franco once again has so many projects lined up for release, it remains to be seen how things turn out for him now. Will he be forgiven for his past mistakes and welcomed back with open arms by the fans, or will he continue to be blacklisted by them? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section!
