Emma Stone has undergone one of her boldest transformations yet, shaving her head on camera for her role in the upcoming black comedy sci-fi Bugonia.
The two-time Oscar winner, best known for her trademark red hair, shed it all during a pivotal scene in the movie. In the first official poster, Stone appears bald with her head covered in what looks like blood and honey — a striking departure from her usual image.
Last month, in a cover story with Vogue, Stone described the emotional process of the transformation.
“No better feeling in the world,” she told the publication. “The first shower when you’ve shaved your head? Oh my God, it’s amazing.”
But the 36-year-old admitted it wasn’t easy at first. Before filming the scene, she “burst into tears in her trailer” while remembering her mother, Krista, who had previously shaved her head during breast cancer treatment.
“She actually did something brave,” Stone recalled. “I’m just shaving my head.”
Krista, who has been cancer-free since 2008, was not only supportive but encouraging. “My mum was like, ‘I’m so jealous. I want to shave my head again!’” Stone shared.
In Bugonia, Stone plays a powerful pharmaceuticals CEO who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists convinced she is an alien out to destroy Earth. The film is a reimagining of the 2003 South Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet! and is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
The project marks Stone’s fourth collaboration with the Greek filmmaker. He previously directed her in The Favourite (2018), Poor Things (2023), and Kinds of Kindness (2024). Their partnership has brought critical acclaim, with Stone winning her second Best Actress Oscar for Poor Things.
On the set of Bugonia, Lanthimos showed his support by also shaving his head. In her Vogue interview, Stone revealed she was the one who cut his hair before filming her own scene.
“When I knew we were gonna do this, I said, ‘You’re gonna have to shave your head, too, so that we’re in solidarity,’” she said. “We just kind of have to re-shave it every couple days. It’s not too big of a getting-ready process on this movie in the mornings, which has been nice.”
Bugonia also stars Jesse Plemons, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. With its dark humor, striking visuals, and Stone’s radical new look, the film is already one of the most talked-about releases on the horizon.