The sexual misconduct allegations against James Franco that surfaced last month slowed the multi-hyphenate’s momentum. Five women came forward and accused Franco of sexually exploitative behavior, and the actor quickly responded, saying the allegations were “not accurate” during appearances on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”
Franco had just written, directed, starred and won a Golden Globe for “The Disaster Artist” (pundits have surmised that Franco lost a chance at a Best Actor Oscar nomination due to the allegations which surfaced just days before voting closed) and was also a part of one of the best TV shows of the year. HBO‘s “The Deuce.”
If you’ve watched Franco’s dual performance as twin brother Vincent and Frankie Martino in David Simon‘s brilliant “The Deuce,” you know how important his presence is to the saga, which details the rise of the porn industry in early ’70s New York City. However, with these new allegations, it remained unclear what HBO would decide to do about Franco and the series, which they renewed for a second season in the fall.
ET reveals that during last night’s Writers Guild Awards ceremony, writer Megan Abbott spoke to the media and confirmed that Franco would “of course” be part of the second season. She didn’t elaborate further.
Plenty of questions still remain. Will there be a pushback on this decision? In the current #MeToo climate, can Franco survive what will surely be a contentious debate surrounding his return to “The Deuce”? The series can’t really continue without Franco, but it’s hard to imagine this will be the last we hear of the controversy.
The man doesn't stop. James Gunn has confirmed he's already hard at work writing his next film, even as ‘Man of Tomorrow’ makes its way toward theaters next summer.