Emma Stone Shaves Head For Yorgos Lanthimos’ Sci-Fi Thriller Bugonia

Emma Stone has never shied away from total commitment, and it shows in her upcoming movie Bugonia. Set for release October 24, 2025, Bugonia is a remake of the cult South Korean film Save the Green Planet! and follows conspiracy theorists Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis’ kidnapping of a powerful pharmaceutical CEO (Stone) believing her to be an alien.

From her Oscar-winning performance in La La Land to her haunting transformation in Poor Things, Stone has proven her dedication to her roles. However, in Yorgos Lanthimos’ upcoming sci-fi thriller movie, Stone takes things to a whole other level by shaving her actual hair on camera for a pivotal scene, which friend Jennifer Lawrence tried to talk her out of.

In an interview with Vogue, Emma Stone opened up about filming Bugonia, talking about the “emotional” experience where the conspiracy theorists shave her head in the backseat of a stolen Range Rover. While Stone said there’s “no better feeling in the world,” especially as she got to shave director Lanthimos’ head first, the concept of losing hair was upsetting.

Stone reflected on her mother’s hair loss during breast cancer treatment, stating that she remembers thinking, “She actually did something brave. I’m just shaving my head.” Surprisingly, Stone’s mother was apparently “jealous” of her transformation. However, Jennifer Lawrence wrote to Vogue about her friend’s commitment, detailing her reservations about Emma Stone shaving her head. Check out her comment below:

I really didn’t want her to shave her head. I had already lived through the Billie Jean King haircut.

Honestly, she looked beautiful. She pulled it off.

What This Means For Emma Stone

Stone’s hair-shaving moment isn’t just for shock value, as it showcases the kind of physical and emotional vulnerability that actors rarely commit to unless they’re fully into a role and a director. Bugonia marks Stone’s fourth collaboration with filmmaker Lanthimos, and there seems to be a lot of trust between the two creators, which could be reflected in Stone’s performance.

Interestingly, Emma Stone’s commitment has also made waves behind the scenes, as Stone recalls Jesse Plemons reaction, paraphrasing him, saying, “Here we go—Emily has shaved her head. We better make this good.” As a result, it looks like Bugonia will likely be another offbeat, unsettling, but richly cinematic experience from Lanthimos, and Emma Stone is going all in, again.

Our Take On Emma Stone’s Bugonia Transformation

Bugonia seems to blend sci-fi, psychological horror, and dark comedy in true Lanthimos fashion, and looks to be one of the most exciting sci-fi movies of 2025. Emma Stone’s commitment to shaving her head for the role only demonstrates just how much trust she has in Yorgos Lanthimos to deliver his vision, and reflects her own dedication to art.

This kind of actor-director partnership is rare, and when it works, it’s magic. The massive reception for Poor Things proved as much. Therefore, if Bugonia delivers the layered, unpredictable tone it’s shaping up to, this moment could be one of the most talked-about scenes of 2025, and a reminder that few actresses today are taking risks the way Emma Stone is.

Bugonia

Release Date

October 24, 2025

Runtime

120 Minutes

Director

Yorgos Lanthimos

Writers

Will Tracy