Lionsgate straightens Ryan Gosling’s ‘La La Hand’ for La La Land’s 10th anniversary
Ryan Gosling’s long-standing dissatisfaction with his bent wrist in the film’s promotional imagery has finally been addressed, though the alteration has drawn sharp criticism from fans who view the original gesture as a vital piece of cultural texture.
Lionsgate has unveiled a revised poster for La La Land to commemorate the film’s 10th anniversary, introducing a minor digital adjustment that straightens Ryan Gosling’s wrist in the movie’s celebrated dance sequence with Emma Stone. The update resolves a decade-long grievance from the actor, who has frequently expressed discomfort with the pose that became synonymous with the film’s marketing.
The original imagery featured Gosling with a distinctively bent wrist, a deviation from the choreography that he later described as the “La La Hand.” In a 2024 interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gosling stated that the pose haunted him, noting that he had ignored his choreographers’ advice to align his hand with Stone’s during filming. He argued that the bend killed the energy of the scene and preferred the aesthetic of a straight wrist.
The change was officially announced at an event at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Justin Manfredi, Lionsgate’s executive vice president, confirmed that the studio consulted the actor regarding the revision. Manfredi noted that Gosling approved the update, stating, “We let him know and he approved it,” effectively closing the loop on the actor’s persistent complaints about the promotional material.
Gosling’s desire to correct the pose is not new. Earlier this year, he attempted to address the issue in a video with his Project Hail Mary co-star, jokingly referring to his effort as a “hail Mary attempt” to fix his hand. The studio’s latest move formalises what the actor had previously only referenced in informal settings.
The alteration has provoked a mixed response from audiences and critics. While some fans expressed outrage, arguing that the change erases a piece of film history and ignores the cultural significance of the original gesture, others have engaged with the revision through humour. Comments on social media have ranged from claims of “gay erasure” to nostalgic references to the font Papyrus, a typeface Gosling has previously defended in Saturday Night Live sketches.
Despite the backlash, the revision stands as a testament to the actor’s influence over his brand’s visual identity. Whether the straightened wrist will become the new standard or merely a footnote in the film’s legacy remains to be seen, but the debate underscores the enduring power of a single, iconic image in cinema culture.