James Franco has joked online that he and Lana Del Rey have got married.

The Hollywood star set hearts racing amongst his fans by posting a photo of himself with the stunning singer with the message: "Oh snap, we got married."

Before adding "JUST KIDDING!!!"

There have been rumours that the pair are dating.

Del Rey attended a screening Franco's new movie Child of God in New York on July 30.

She then joined him at an afterparty with others in his hotel room at the Tribeca Grand, reports Us Magazine.

Franco has promised that his upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel Child of God will be “ten times darker” than the film adaptation of No Country for Old Men.

The acclaimed 2007 film is also based on a novel by the same author and is unrelentingly bleak - although brilliant.

Franco, who directs, says: "Cormac McCarthy ... who wrote The Road and No Country for Old Men, this is one of his early books, his third book. Child of God, it's very, very dark. If you think No Country for Old Men is dark then this is like ten times darker."

The 36-year-old star adds that he likes mixing up light and shade, with comedy and serious drama: “I mean, obviously I do comedies and stuff like that, but it's nice to have a little darkness in there every once in a while.

"Not that I'm an unhappy guy or sit in my house brooding or anything."