What’s going on with James Franco? That is the question on everybody’s mind after the American actor and filmmaker, best known for his starring role in Danny Boyle’s 2010 biographical drama film 127 Hours (which also earned him an Academy Award nomination), opened a TikTok account and began uploading a series of bizarre videos.
The Spider-Man actor left the Internet confused when a series of videos started appearing from a TikTok account called @jamesfranco2319. In the videos, which started floating on the Internet last month, James Franco appears in a worn-out blue shirt (with the name Bruce Robinson written on it), as he paces around the room and frantically talks about some ‘crazy stuff’ happening in his home.
While the actor maintains that the videos are neither AI nor any gimmick, they have left the Internet baffled and searching for answers.
More on this in our story.
What’s going on with James Franco?
James Franco left the Internet surprised when the TikTok account began posting cryptic videos. In the videos, Franco can be seen talking about some crazy stuff happening in his house. The actor maintained that some ‘serious sh*t’ is going on and even claims to have seen something ‘not human‘ in his garage, which is ‘watching‘ him.
In another video, he holds out a piece of paper with his TikTok account name (@jamesfranco2319) and claims he is real:
“Hey guys, this is James Franco… I’m making this account because, all right, some serious, some serious sh*ts going on. OK, and look here, this is real. OK, I’m real. It’s me, not AI, not anything.”
He continues:
”Some serious stuff going on; that’s why I’m contacting you, that’s why I’m doing this. OK? I know, I maybe seem crazy, like, why, what’s going on, what’s the gimmick? No, this is real. Real. OK, I can’t say too much right now. I just need you to follow me, then I’ll know who’s down, and I’m going to show you some crazy stuff. OK?”
In the latest video, James Franco identifies the “non-human” figure as an “alien,” further convincing fans that the clips are part of a promotional campaign for one of his upcoming projects.
A strange promotion?
For the uninitiated, James Franco was practically banned from Hollywood after a 17-year-old girl posted screenshots of her alleged conversation with the actor in 2014. The messages revealed that Franco tried to meet with the girl, who was taking acting lessons from him at the time, in a hotel room even after she told him she was only 17. Following this incident, Franco was accused of several s*xual assault allegations by his students and an ex-girlfriend, which practically destroyed his acting career and tarnished his friendship with actor and frequent collaborator Seth Rogen.
James Franco made a comeback in 2024 and is set to appear in Cloud9 Studios’ character-driven comedy film Love Meets in the Sunshine, alongside Cloud 9 co-founder Nick Antonyan and KISS rocker Gene Simmons. Interestingly, Franco’s TikTok account follows only two other accounts: his upcoming film Love Meets in the Sunshine and its director, Christian Guiton, leading many internet users to believe the videos are tied to an unusual marketing campaign.
Following the comedy film’s wrap in November, fans have speculated that the videos are a bizarre attempt to generate buzz for the project.
In addition to Spider-Man and 127 Hours, Franco is best known for his performances in Pineapple Express, The Interview, This Is The End, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Eat Pray Love and many more.
For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.
Edited by Aashna