Lionsgate has released a new poster for the 10th anniversary of La La Land, digitally altering Ryan Gosling's bent wrist in his dance pose with Emma Stone. The change, described as a 'minor adjustment' by Lionsgate executive vice president Justin Manfredi, directly addresses Gosling's long-standing dislike of the original hand position, which he has called the 'La La Hand'.
Ryan Gosling's complaint about the original pose
In a 2024 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gosling explained that the pose 'haunts' him because he did not realize the dance scene would be used for the film's poster. During filming, he ignored choreographers' advice and flattened his hand, while Stone kept hers in perfect alignment with her arm. 'I thought it'd be cool to put my hand like that,' Gosling said. 'Now when I look at it, and I have to see it all the time, you know what would have been cooler than this? That,' he added, imitating a straight wrist. 'It just killed the energy that way.'
Lionsgate's response and Gosling's approval
Lionsgate unveiled the corrected poster at an event at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Manfredi stated that Gosling was informed and approved the change. 'We let him know and he approved it,' Manfredi said. Earlier in 2024, Gosling had also addressed the issue in a video with his Project Hail Mary costar Rocky, saying, 'This is my hail Mary attempt to fix my La La Hand.'
Fan reactions to the altered poster
The alteration has sparked mixed reactions online. Jason P Frank of Vulture wrote, 'This sucks. The gay little wrist ruled. It was a reminder that, while La La Land is a movie about a straight relationship, it's also a musical, which is the gayest genre. Plus this kind of revisionism flies in the face of the nature of time. Gosling made a decision to have a gay little wrist, and now it's a part of film history. No take-backsies.' Some fans argued that the original wrist reflected the characters' mismatched relationship. One Redditor commented, 'I had never noticed it till today, but I do prefer the original if nothing else for the subtle hint that they are on different paths.' Another joked, 'They should have fixed the hand and changed the font to Papyrus,' referencing Gosling's SNL sketches. A third added, 'This is gonna be evidence of the Mandela Effect for so many people in five years.'
Impact on film history and revisionism
The controversy highlights broader debates about digital revisionism in cinema. While some see the change as a minor correction, others view it as erasing a spontaneous moment that had become part of the film's identity. The original poster, featuring Gosling's bent wrist, had been iconic for a decade. The new version, with a straightened wrist, may alter how the film is remembered. As one commenter noted, the change could fuel future debates about the Mandela Effect, where collective memory conflicts with altered records.
