NEON Condemns Hishow/Chengdu AI Edit of Together

Together, an Australian horror film directed by Michael Shanks and starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie, screened in select mainland Chinese cinemas on Sept. 12 where viewers discovered digital alterations that changed a same‑sex wedding into a heterosexual one. Side‑by‑side screenshots circulated online suggested AI face‑swapping was used and that some nudity was obscured, prompting widespread backlash among Chinese viewers. NEON, the film’s global distributor, condemned the unauthorized alterations and publicly demanded that local distributor Hishow/Chengdu pull the altered prints. China Film Group later postponed the movie’s nationwide release, citing changes to distribution plans. Observers say the episode has renewed scrutiny over the use of AI in censorship and limits on LGBTQ+ representation in imported films.