All posts tagged: Franco

Seth Rogen has ‘no plans’ to work with James Franco after misconduct allegations

Seth Rogen has ‘no plans’ to work with James Franco after misconduct allegations

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Seth Rogen has confirmed he’s no longer friends with James Franco, revealing he hasn’t spoken to the actor in a “long time” and doesn’t plan to work with him again. The pair first met while starring in 1999 teen series Freaks and Geeks and went on to work together on a string of hit movies, including Pineapple Express (2008), The Interview (2014) and The Disaster Artist (2017). When Franco was accused of sexual misconduct in January 2018, Rogen publicly distanced himself from the actor after originally supporting him – something Franco described as “hurtful”. Seth Rogen no longer speaks to former friend James Franco (Getty Images) Now, Rogen has opened up about his feelings on the subject during an interview with The New York Times, stating: “I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into …

Seth Rogen Hasn’t Talked to James Franco in ‘Long Time’

Seth Rogen Hasn’t Talked to James Franco in ‘Long Time’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Seth Rogen and James Franco spent years as friends and close collaborators on the short-lived TV show Freaks and Geeks and movies like Pineapple Express, This Is The End, The Disaster Artist and The Interview. But after Franco was hit with numerous allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018, Rogen has said he has no plans to work with him again. And his approach hasn’t changed. Still Rogen was asked about his relationship with Franco in a recent interview with The New York Times, and he indicated the situation is complicated. “I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now,” Rogen said. “It is a very personal thing. There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had, and I think the proof is in the pudding — I have not worked with him in years. But the personal side of it is just so nuanced, and it involves people that I don’t know if I should be …

Franco Manca confirms restaurant closures in major restructuring plan

Franco Manca confirms restaurant closures in major restructuring plan

Published by Daniella Wilson

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Pizza chain Franco Manca will close 16 of its restaurants, impacting approximately 225 jobs, after creditors approved a restructuring plan. Parent company The Fulham Shore confirmed the closures as part of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) process, which received backing from over 90 per cent of voting creditors. The popular pizza brand, which currently operates 70 sites, cited “disproportionately high” UK taxes and a lack of business rates relief for restaurants as key factors, rendering the affected venues “no longer sustainable”. This decision follows closely on the heels of another significant development for Fulham Shore, which saw its sister restaurant brand, The Real Greek, placed into administration just last week. While The Real Greek was swiftly acquired by Cote owner Karali Group, the deal still resulted in the closure of nine of its 28 restaurants. Marcel Khan, chief executive of …

The Last Days of Franco

The Last Days of Franco

Published by José Betancourt

Montserrat Roig’s classic novel, The Time of Cherries, captures a sort of still point in the history of Barcelona— a moment that came before great change. When the novel ends, no one has any idea that within 18 months, Francisco Franco, the old dictator, will be gone. The Time of Cherries was originally published in Catalan in 1976, the year after Franco died. Half a century later, Roig’s excavation of family life in a period of historical flux is now available in English in the United States for the first time. Explore the April 2026 Issue Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. View More The Time of Cherries became an essential book in post-Franco Catalonia. It appeared at a time when there were few images of the culture whose youth had cast off Franco long before 1975. The novel is infused not only with an array of vivid characters but also with a sharply detailed vision of middle-class Barcelona before democracy was restored. The book revolves around Natàlia, …

Franco Regime Sought to Censor Robert Motherwell Painting in Spain

Franco Regime Sought to Censor Robert Motherwell Painting in Spain

Published by José Betancourt

Longstanding questions about an episode surrounding a Robert Motherwell painting in Spain have finally been answered: the Franco regime really did try to censor the Abstract Expressionist’s work, proposing an altered title for one work with a name that explicitly referred to the Spanish Republic. The drama centered around Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 35 (1954–58), one of more than one 150 paintings in a series of abstractions that obliquely refer to the Spanish Civil War via black ovals and expanses of white. Related Articles Now owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the painting was one of several by Motherwell that appeared in “The New American Painting,” a legendary exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition’s tour, which was facilitated by the US government, has been credited with bringing Abstract Expressionism beyond the United States. (Many have claimed the show was American propaganda, with ArtCurious podcast host Jennifer Dasal writing that it was “a way to cement alliances among like-minded Cold Warriors and to promote the much-lauded cultural preeminence of …