Lawrence Warned Stone Against Shaving Hair for Bugonia

Jennifer Lawrence recalls urging Emma Stone not to shave her head for Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia.

Lawrence Warned Stone Against Shaving Hair for Bugonia

Jennifer Lawrence revealed in Vogue that she advised Emma Stone not to shave her head for Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, a dark comedy inspired by the 2003 film Save the Green Planet. Stone ultimately shaved her head for a scene filmed in the back of a Range Rover, drawing on a look reminiscent of Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta. The moment brought Stone to tears in her trailer, as the gesture reminded her of her mother Krista’s battle with breast cancer. Stone says the transformation felt brave, and Lawrence later conceded that the final look looked beautiful.

Bugonia will world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival before a theatrical release on October 24, distributed by Focus Features. The film pairs Stone with a cast that includes Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis, and centers on a pharmaceutical CEO who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists who believe she is an alien set on destroying Earth. The anecdote about hair and memory underscores how personal stakes can intersect with screen storytelling in contemporary cinema.

The exchange between two longtime friends adds a human layer to a project that might otherwise be viewed as spectacle. It also demonstrates how actors leverage personal moments to strengthen a role, a habit that keeps festival chatter alive while anchoring a broader discussion about vulnerability in public life. Hair becomes more than appearance here; it is a symbol of character commitment and a rite of passage that audiences often celebrate or scrutinize.

From a industry perspective, the Venice premiere followed by a late October release signals a traditional path for prestige films: festival buzz fuels a wider rollout, even as social media magnifies personal storytelling. The risk is that attention shifts from Lanthimos’s wit and satire to the emotional arc of the shaved look, potentially narrowing the film’s perceived aims. Still, the story reflects a larger trend in cinema where visible acts of courage and the sharing of private memories can amplify a film’s cultural footprint.

Highlights

The real test will be whether the audience connects with the film’s ambition as much as with its behind-the-scenes moments.