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Fans shave heads to see sci-fi movie ‘Bugonia’ starring Emma Stone

Focus Features challenges moviegoers to shave their heads for entry to the absurdist sci-fi comedy ahead of its official release
Published 22 Oct, 2025 05:35pm
Fans with shaved heads sit in a cinema hall waiting for a free preview of Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film ‘Bugonia’, in Culver City, California. Reuters
Fans with shaved heads sit in a cinema hall waiting for a free preview of Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film ‘Bugonia’, in Culver City, California. Reuters

Fans arrived for an early screening of the absurdist sci-fi comedy film “Bugonia” on Monday night in Los Angeles with one unique condition — the theatre only admitted bald people.

The film’s distributor, Focus Features, challenged audiences to shave their heads to see “Bugonia,” starring Oscar-winning actor Emma Stone.

Stone and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos gained a powerful fanbase after teaming up for Oscar-nominated films “Poor Things” and “The Favourite.”

“Bugonia” will be released in select theatres on Friday and then across the US on October 31.

In “Bugonia,” Stone plays a powerful pharmaceutical CEO named Michelle Fuller, who is kidnapped by two conspiracy theorist-cousins who are convinced that she’s an alien — so much so, they shave her head.

A fan gets his head shaved for a free preview of Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film ‘Bugonia’, in Culver City, California, on October 20, 2025. Reuters
A fan gets his head shaved for a free preview of Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film ‘Bugonia’, in Culver City, California, on October 20, 2025. Reuters

With a barber in the foyer, fans like Sam Sherman from Los Angeles stepped up to get their buzz cut to gain entry to the screening.

“I was already thinking of shaving my head,” Sherman said.

“I saw, like, a post about this and I was like, that’s a perfect excuse because I want to see ‘Bugonia’ anyway and I get to see it two weeks early or whatever it is, and then I get a free haircut and a free movie. It’s hard to say no to that,” he added.

Matthew Lopez, 29, from Los Angeles, thought the bald screening inspired by Stone’s shaved head was a great idea.

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“It’s almost feeling immersive, like ok, ‘I did it, she did it.’ I can feel some connection to the story,” he said.

For Richard Chong, 36, it was a chance to appease his friends and family.

“I like the director. I think he’s really good, very weird, and my friends hate my bowl cut, so this is for them, also my wife, she really hates it,” Chong said.

Los Angeles

Emma Stone

Michelle Fuller

Yorgos Lanthimos

Sam Sherman

Bugonia

Oscar winning actor Emma Stone