James Franco appears to have revealed that his recent series of bizarre alien-themed videos was all part of a creative marketing campaign for his upcoming film Love Meets In The Sunshine.
The actor, known for his roles in the Spider-Man films as well as comedies including Pineapple Express and The Interview, spent recent weeks confusing fans with a series of cryptic social media posts claiming he had uncovered something mysterious.
Last month, Franco began sharing videos suggesting there was "crazy stuff going on", with many viewers initially believing he could be teasing a new project. The actor insisted at the time that he was not promoting anything, despite fans noticing that the only accounts he followed were linked to his upcoming film.
@jamesfranco2319See you tomorrow…♬ Chop Suey! - System Of A Down
The mystery centred around a promised reveal on "7/13" (July 13), which Franco delivered with a video of himself sitting behind a laptop.
In that video, he claimed he was sharing information that had been "thrust upon" him and said people were trying to stop him from revealing the truth.
"I promised you, I was going to reveal something," he said, explaining: "it was thrust upon me, I didn’t ask for this".
Franco also spoke about being called "crazy" and claimed his social media account had been hacked twice by "people trying to shut me down".
After a lengthy explanation, he said: "7/13, you wanted it, here it is, I delivered" before showing footage of what appeared to be an alien moving through woodland, looking through windows and entering a doorway.
@jamesfranco2319I’m sorry for letting all of you down I guess…♬ original sound - James Franco
However, the footage quickly attracted scepticism, with many viewers pointing out that the supposed alien looked suspiciously human. Some fans suggested it was simply someone wearing an alien costume.
Now, a follow-up video appears to have confirmed those suspicions — revealing the entire storyline was a prank designed to promote Franco's new comedy road-trip film, Love Meets In The Sunshine.
In the humorous clip, Franco joked about the reaction to his big "7/13" reveal, suggesting the response had not gone as planned.
"Maybe I am going crazy. Reading the comments, I see that everyone thinks I'm still crazy, that this is a big joke. People are saying that's me in a costume or my brother."
As Franco looks into the camera, the "alien" suddenly appears in the window behind him, making it clear the bizarre footage was part of the joke.
He then adds: "Maybe this is a big flop. I guess people don't want to believe me. Maybe we just delete the account and forget this all happened."
@jamesfranco2319I’m sorry for letting all of you down I guess…
The latest video shows a much more relaxed and humorous side to Franco's character, confirming that the previous posts were a carefully planned attempt to create mystery and go viral.
And it worked.
Across 23 TikTok videos, Franco's alien storyline generated a reported 76 million views, with comments ranging from people wondering if aliens were real to fans simply asking when the new movie was being released.
James Franco. Anders Photo, Shutterstock
Love Meets In The Sunshine is an upcoming comedy road-trip film directed by Christian Guiton, starring Franco alongside internet personality Nick Antonyan.
The film follows an optimistic, terminally ill man played by Franco who convinces a reluctant drifter, played by Antonyan, to drive him across the desert to meet a doctor.
The film also features appearances from Gene Simmons, Forrie J. Smith and Nicky Whelan, with filming taking place in New Mexico. David Dobrik serves as an executive producer.
