Why is Emma Stone wearing a wig? New Yorgos Lanthimos movie rumors explained

The 62nd New York Film Festival is taking place right now in the Big Apple, where films like Queer, Emilia Pérez, Maria, and many other highly-anticipated films are being spotlighted. If you're always stuck on Film Twitter like me, you probably spent the weekend scrolling through photos of actors posing at the festival in Manhattan, along with clips of Q&A, intros, and more. Academy Award winner Emma Stone attended the festival to join a Q&A for A Real Pain, on which she served as a producer.

And while the film, directed and starring Jesse Eisenberg alongside co-star Kieran Culkin, is receiving glowing reviews, one moment from the festival involving Stone is going viral. The Kinds of Kindness star was filmed hugging Culkin's wife Jazz Charton, with X user @JillianChili calling attention to Stone showing off the roots of her wig: "I’m so intrigued by why Emma Stone is wearing a wig at NYFF." It didn't take long for people in the replies to point out circulating reports — the actress may or may not have shaved her head!

Emma Stone might've shaved her head for movie Bugonia

It's been rumored on social media that Stone shaved her head to film her next collaboration with director Yorgos Lanthimos, titled Bugonia. The X account @SolaceCinema tweeted this out as news, though they do not link to any source. At this time, whether or not the actress shaved her head and what the reason might be are all up for speculation, though it seems probable that she's wearing a wig because of an upcoming project. We just can't one hundred percent confirm this right now.

A handful of other tweets about Stone have been shared, with user @JillianChili quote-tweeting her original tweet with new photos of the actress wearing a beanie, writing: "Emma Stone shaved head for Yorgos Lanthimos’s ‘BUGONIA’ confirmed." The account @FilmUpdates also shared the rumor, making it clear that that's all it is right now — a rumor.

As reported by Elite Daily, the main character of Bugonia — which is adapted from the 2003 South Korean movie Save the Green Planet! directed by Jang Joon-hwan — is bald, which gives us another major clue into this theory. Stone will be playing the gender-swapped version of the protagonist, a pharmaceutical company CEO named Michelle. Production on the film began in July 2024 and it's believed that they've either just wrapped or are close to it, which would make sense considering Stone's appearance in New York City this past weekend.

At the end of the day, we don't know for sure that Stone has even really shaved her head, though I'll admit this theory about her being bald for Bugonia does make sense. We know that the actress is willing to do almost anything for the sake of her roles, and we know her partnership with Lanthimos is a trusting one. Film Twitter is convinced this is what's going on, but I'll be waiting until we see any sneak peeks into Bugonia to know for sure.

Bugonia marks Stone's fifth collaboration with Lanthimos after The Favourite, short film Bleat, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness, and I'm incredibly excited for it. The film will also star Jesse Plemons, though at this time any other castings have been kept under wraps. Will Tracy wrote the movie, and among the producers include Stone and acclaimed horror director Ari Aster.

Bugonia is set for a U.S. release on Nov. 7, 2025. We'll keep our readers updated on future news — including Stone's hair! — when we get it.