James Franco and Seth Rogen are Hollywood’s favorite dynamic duo, and the two have collaborated on many projects since 1999 when they first worked together on the set of Freaks and Geeks. The once close friends have delivered some of Hollywood’s unforgettable comedies, such as the stoner classic Pineapple Express, the daring The Interview, and the unconventional adult animated film Sausage Party.
Sadly, Franco and Rogen's friendship and collaborative relationship of over 20 years would come to a stop. Sexual misconduct made against Franco has led Seth Rogen to decide that he will no longer be working with Franco on any future projects. This is devastating news to many fans who have long been loyal to them and their projects together, but many, including Franco, understands why Rogen has chosen to make that decision. We take a look back on all the films (and one series) that they have worked on together.
Zeroville (2019)
Many might not have heard of this comedy-drama film directed by James Franco, Zeroville. The film stars James Franco as Vikar, Megan Fox as Soledad Paladin, Seth Rogen as Viking Man, and Dave Franco as Monty, among an extensive list of cast members.
The story follows Vikar, who goes to Hollywood for a job at Paramount Studios, and crosses paths with a beautiful Hollywood actress, Soledad when he arrives there. Vikar, who, after working in Hollywood for some time, shows a knack for editing. He gets hired by Rondell (Will Ferrell) to edit Soledad’s latest film, and thus begins his journey in 1970s Hollywood.
The Disaster Artist (2017)
James Franco starred in and directed the biographical comedy-drama film, The Disaster Artist, which tells the story of the unlikely friendship between aspiring actors Tommy Wiseau (Dave Franco) and Greg Sestero (James Franco). It focuses on their relationship and pursuits in the making of The Room, a film previously considered one of the worst films ever made but is now a cult classic.
Seth Rogen plays a supposed script supervisor but is in fact the first assistant director of The Room, and Alison Brie plays the girlfriend of Sestero (James Franco) - strange, considering James’ brother Dave Franco is her real-life husband. Other cast members also include Zac Efron and Josh Hutcherson who played the actors in The Room.
Sausage Party (2016)
Seth Rogen once again surprises his audience with Sausage Party - one of the strangest but most intriguing adult animated films in Hollywood. Anthropomorphic grocery items in a supermarket called Shopwell believe that the humans who shop there are gods who take their groceries out to a place called the “Great Beyond”.
One day, Frank (Seth Rogen) the sausage, Brenda (Kristen Wiig) the hotdog bun, Teresa del Taco (Salma Hayek), and Sammy Bagel Jr. (Edward Norton) learn that they are coming home with a customer. They believe that they are going to the "Great Beyond". However, Frank quickly learns the shocking truth that he and his friends will soon become a meal. James Franco plays a drug addict who is the first human who discovers the existence of the anthropomorphic food after injecting himself with bath salts.
The Night Before (2015)
If you can’t already tell, Seth Rogen loves marijuana. Rogen produces and stars in yet another stoner comedy film, The Night Before - except this time set during the Christmas period. Three lifelong friends, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen), and Chris (Anthony Mackie), go to their annual Christmas Eve gathering to celebrate the holiday together.
However, as Isaac has a baby on the way and is preparing to be a father, Ethan and Chris realize that the following Christmas Eve celebrations will never be the same again. They soon learn about the elite Nutcracker Ball but are unable to find its location. For one last, wild Christmas Eve, they plan a night filled with drugs and alcohol. Despite James Franco not starring as the main character, he makes a cameo appearance as himself.
The Interview (2014)
Co-directed and co-produced by childhood friends and frequent collaborators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, this controversial film made headlines upon its release. Two journalists, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen) go to North Korea to interview the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Randall Park) after learning that he is a big fan of their show "Skylark Tonight". However, as they prepare for their journey to Pyongyang, the CIA unexpectedly recruits them to assassinate the dictator.
The film made the news when the United States received threats from the North Korean government if Sony released the film. Sony decides to delay the release of the film for re-edits that will be more acceptable for North Korea. However, during the delay, a North Korean cybercrime group called the “Guardians of Peace” hacked into the computer systems of Sony in what seemed like an attempt to stop the release of the film. The “Guardians of Peace” also threatened to perform terrorist attacks on theaters showing the film, and as a result, Sony did not have a theatrical release of the film.
The Sound and the Fury (2014)
Though The Sound and the Fury isn’t a direct collaboration between James Franco and Seth Rogen, Rogen makes a cameo appearance as a Telegraph operator. The film is an adaptation of a 1929 novel of the same name by William Faulkner and the second version of a previous 1959 film adaptation directed by Martin Ritt.
The film tells the story of the struggles faced by the Compson family during the 20th Century Deep South. The film is told from four different perspectives; the mentally challenged Benjy Compson (James Franco), the smart Quentin Compson (Joey King), the cynical father Jason Compson III (Tim Blake Nelson), and the family’s black servant, Dilsey (Loretta Divine).
This Is the End (2013)
This Is the End is an apocalyptic comedy film in which all the characters in the film play exaggerated versions of themselves. The film features an extensive list of celebrity appearances such as Channing Tatum, Rihanna, Backstreet Boys, Emma Watson, Kevin Hart, and many more unexpected cameos.
Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, and many of Hollywood’s top celebrities are gathered in James Franco's house for a housewarming party that he is hosting. However, tensions start to rise as an earthquake shakes the party, and a sinkhole opens up in Franco’s backyard. As if that image isn’t ridiculous enough, more absurdity is yet to come. Jonah gets possessed by a demon, Danny McBride leads three cannibals, and has Channing Tatum as his sex slave, Seth and Jay encounter Satan, and finally, everyone dances to Backstreet Boys’ "Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)" in heaven.
Pineapple Express (2008)
Pineapple Express might be Franco and Rogen’s most successful collaboration as it still stands as a fan favorite to this day. James Franco plays Dale Denton, a process server who smokes a lot of marijuana, while Seth Rogen plays Saul Silver, a laid-back drug dealer. Dale and Saul smoke the rare “Pineapple Express” strain together. Dale leaves to work after smoking, but witnesses a corrupt police officer (Rosie Perez) and drug lord Ted Jones (Gary Cole) shoot and kill an Asian man.
The film focuses on Dale and Saul’s attempt to flee from Ted’s hitmen and a corrupt police officer after witnessing the murder they committed. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Judd Apatow wanted to produce a sequel to Pineapple Express but decided to not go forward with it after a budget disagreement with the film’s distributor Sony.
Knocked Up (2007)
The 2007 romantic comedy film follows the shortcomings of a drunken one-night stand between Ben Stone (Seth Rogen), an immature stoner slacker who works on a celebrity porn website, and Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl), a media personality who had just been promoted at her job. Two months after their one-night stand, Alison experiences morning sickness while being interviewed by James Franco. She realizes that she is pregnant and tells Ben about the situation.
Though Alison had negative opinions about Ben throughout the film, the birth of their baby girl by the end of the film changes this, and they start a new life together. A spin-off film, This Is 40 featuring Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd’s characters on Knocked Up, was released in 2012.
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
Freaks and Geeks have acquired an impressive cult following, despite its one-season (18 episodes) run between 1999 and 2000. The short-lived teen comedy-drama series follows the lives of teenagers who attended a suburban Detroit high school in the class of 1980-81 while they navigate through their social struggles as teenagers. Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and her brother Sam Weir (John Frances Daley) attend William McKinley High School. While Lindsay joins a group of friends who are referred to as “freaks”, her brother joins a group of “geeks”.
Lindsay, an academically brilliant student, and star athlete transform into a rebellious teenager after hanging out with the “freaks”, which include Daniel Desario (James Franco) and Ken Miller (Seth Rogen). The series helped launch the careers of James Franco and Seth Rogen, along with other celebrities in the series such as Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, Martin Starr, and Samm Levine.