James Franco Says 'It’s Over' Between Him and Seth Rogen But 'Not for Lack of Trying'

James Franco believes “it’s over” between him and Seth Rogen .

The actor and director, who was reported back in 2021 to have settled a lawsuit alleging sexual exploitation of students at his Studio 4 filmmaking school, recently spoke with Nick Vivarelli for Variety in connection with the Italian drama Hey Joe. In the film, set for a November theatrical rollout in Italy, Franco plays a veteran who returns to Naples in hopes of connecting with his son.

During the ensuing conversation , Franco spoke about where he’s at in his life these days, particularly in comparison to a prior period in which he says he was “dry” on an emotional and spiritual level. By the end, Franco had been asked if he’s “still in touch” with Rogen, whose Franco-collabing filmography entries include Pineapple Express and a Ye-approved parody of the Yeezus era “Bound 2” video.

“No. I haven’t talked to Seth,” Franco revealed. “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 2021, Rogen said in a Sunday Times chat that he had no plans to work with Franco again in light of misconduct allegations. Later that same year, Franco himself said it was “true” that he and Rogen, who last worked together on the Oscar-nominated The Disaster Artist, were not planning any projects. Rogen, as Franco recalled in a Jess Cagle Podcast episode at the time, was once the “absolute closest work friend and collaborator” in his life.

The Rogen and Franco-led Pineapple Express has long been the subject of sequel chatter, despite frequently expectations-tempering updates from the filmmakers over the years. Most recently, for example, Danny McBride, soon to be seen in a new season of Righteous Gemstones, pondered in a GQ chat if “maybe the time has passed” to continue that story. Rogen and Franco’s shared filmography also counts The Night Before, Freaks and Geeks, This Is the End, The Interview, and more among its ranks.

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