Chinese advance screenings of the Australian horror film Together showed digital edits that turned a gay couple into a straight couple. Viewers posted comparisons online, and backlash grew.
Edits and public reaction
Together stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie and opened in limited previews in China on 12 September. Moviegoers noticed altered sex and nudity scenes after screenshots of the original spread online.
In one shower scene, the Chinese cut added steam to hide the male lead’s nude body. The most discussed change was an image of a gay couple where editors replaced a man’s face with a woman’s face.
Several references to the same-sex relationship were also removed. According to BBC News, users on Douban said the changes crossed a line.
“This is no longer just a matter of cuts,” one post read. Another said the edit disrespected the actor’s sexual orientation.
Distributor response and context
Neon condemns the cut
The film’s global distributor, Neon, said it did not approve the edit. The company criticised the Chinese distributor, Hishow, and demanded it stop distributing the altered version, the BBC reported.
The film was due for public release in China on 19 September. As of Thursday, it had not opened in cinemas.
Together is a supernatural body horror film written and directed by Australian Michael Shanks. It follows a couple who move to the countryside and face a force that changes their bodies, lives, and relationship.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It released in the US and Australia in July and holds a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to the BBC.
China does not recognise same-sex marriage, and LGBT topics remain largely taboo. The BBC noted that the country has edited sexual content in other films.
For Oppenheimer, Chinese cinemas showed an AI-generated black dress over Florence Pugh in a nude scene. The BBC also reported arrests of at least 30 writers of gay erotic fictions since February.
Viewers said the edits to Together went beyond standard cuts. They saw them as distortion that changed key parts of the story.
