Together‘s same-Sєx marriage scene has been digitally altered for its release in China, sparking debate and controversy. The 2025 supernatural body horror thriller, directed by Michael Shanks, follows a troubled young couple (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) who relocate to the countryside to work on their relationship, only to experience disturbing physical transformations due to mysterious supernatural events.
Praised for its atmosphere and storytelling, Together currently holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has grossed $32 million worldwide. Following its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Together was released theatrically in the United States on July 30 and on digital platforms on August 26. Together was then released in select cinemas in China on September 12.
Now, according to Chinese moviegoers, one scene in Together was digitally altered to change a same-Sєx couple into a heteroSєxual couple. The scene in question shows a wedding video between two men, who take part in a ritual to fuse together. However, in the version screened in China, one of the men’s faces is altered to look like a woman’s.
China’s Approach To LGBTQ+ Content Explained
China has long maintained strict regulations regarding the portrayal of LGBTQ+ people in media. Although homoSєxuality was effectively decriminalized in 1997, mainstream depictions of same-Sєx relationships remain heavily restricted due to official policies which emphasize traditional family values, promoting heteroSєxual marriage and childbirth. As a result, public visibility of LGBTQ+ idenтιтies is limited, especially in films and TV.
For instance, the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was released in China with references to Freddie Mercury’s Sєxuality removed, and the American sitcom Friends saw scenes involving a lesbian character cut on Chinese streaming platforms. However, digitally altering the same-Sєx marriage scene in Together represents a shift in censorship methods, going beyond simply cutting scenes, sparking further controversy among viewers.
China Pulls Together From Theaters Amid Controversy
Following its limited screenings on September 12, Together was scheduled for wide release in China on September 19. However, after backlash from Together being digitally altered, possibly through AI technology, according to Bloomberg, the film’s Chinese distributor China Film Digital Movie Development (Beijing) Co. pulled it from theaters on September 18, citing “changes in the film’s distribution plan.“
The modification of Together has sparked conversations internationally about censorship, artistic expression, and representation, as audiences noted they didn’t realize the film had been edited until they saw it on social media. Furthermore, it’s unclear who performed the edit. Ultimately, Together‘s digitally-altered scene highlights ongoing challenges faced by filmmakers aiming to reach global audiences, like China, with diverse narratives.
