Emma Stone starrer ‘BUGONIA’ screening demands shaved heads for entry

The upcoming film BUGONIA is turning heads and scalps. According to multiple reports, the film’s makers are hosting a special screening where attendees will only be admitted if they are completely bald. The event is scheduled for 20 October 2025 at the Culver Theatre in Los Angeles, with a barber reportedly onsite from 6 p.m. ready to shave heads before the 8 p.m. showtime.

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone as a pharmaceutical-CEO turned alien suspect, the film already has a cult-style sensibility. Stone herself shaved her head for the role, a transformation she described as “one of the greatest experiences of my life” during a Q&A.

The screening’s shaved-head requirement appears to be part immersive art piece, part marketing stunt. Onlookers suggest the rule is voluntary, yet tightly enforced at the door, adding a layer of commitment to the viewing experience. One promotional Instagram post states, “If you are not bald, we will have a barber on site to shave your head in order for you to watch the film.”

Reactions among film fans and early commenters are mixed. Some are thrilled by the theatrical daring, praising it as “interactive cinema confounding norms.” Others raise concerns about inclusivity and whether a gimmick like this could exclude audiences due to personal, cultural or religious hair-practices. For example, commenters note that those with hair styles tied to their identity (such as dreadlocks, locs or faith-based head coverings) might be disadvantaged.

Financially and culturally, the stunt is already earning press. Media outlets speculate that BUGONIA may mark a rare occasion where viewer transformation becomes part of the film’s narrative experience. Whether this shaved-head screening will boost tickets, generate meme-worthy social clips or spark uncomfortable debates remains to be seen.

For now, at least one thing is clear: if you want to see BUGONIA in this version of the event, you’d better bring your bald cap or be ready to say goodbye to your hair.