People were surprised to learn that a gay couple in the horror movie Together was digitally changed to appear straight for audiences in China. The film, a supernatural body horror, stars real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as Tim and Millie. The story follows them as they move to the countryside and face a terrifying, unnatural force that threatens their lives and relationship.
In the original version, a newlywed gay couple, played by Charlie Lees and MJ Dorning, appears in a smaller role. But for the Chinese release, one of the men was replaced with a woman’s face using AI, removing any LGBTQ+ representation. Some sex scenes were also cut. Fans who attended early screenings noticed the changes and shared side-by-side comparisons online, sparking backlash.
One social media user joked, “Adam and Steve to Adam and Eve,” highlighting how the change made the film less coherent. Others criticized the censorship as disrespectful to the original work and to the LGBTQ+ community.
China has strict rules against showing gay relationships on screen, part of censorship guidelines introduced in 2016. While removing LGBTQ+ content in media is not new there, this may be the first time AI was reportedly used to make the change. It’s still unclear who exactly made the edit—whether regulators, distributors, or someone else.
Following the criticism, Chinese distributors have paused plans for a full release of the film.