Ryan Gosling's decade-long discomfort with a particular pose in the 2016 film "La La Land" has officially been resolved. Lionsgate announced Monday that the film's artwork has been retouched to correct the actor's hand position for the upcoming 10th-anniversary re-release.
Gosling had described the pose, a flat, "lazy" hand gesture during a dance scene, as something that had "haunted" him for years. He recounted in 2024 that he believed the pose was cooler than the alternative at the time, despite being advised against it. "Even though everyone told me it wasn't cool, I was sure that that was cooler than that," Gosling told WSJ Style. "And now when I look at it, and I have to see it all the time, you know, it would've been cooler than this. That. It just killed the energy that way. It was sort of like all leading to what? Just like a lazy, I call it 'La La Hand.'"
The actor took matters into his own hands in March, recreating the pose correctly in Griffith Park for an Instagram promotion of his film "Project Hail Mary." However, the official correction came on Monday when Lionsgate revealed the updated "La La Land" poster, now featuring Gosling's hand pointed upward, mirroring Emma Stone's pose.
"You can see they are vastly different...It's like night and day. I think [Gosling] will [be happy]," said Justin Manfredi, Lionsgate EVP and Head of Worldwide TV Marketing, at the event. "In fact, we know he's happy because we let him know and he approved it. So it is approved. So moving forward, from this night starting at 7pm, rolling across every platform in the world we will be updating this art to the official art for La La Land."
The news of the poster update quickly sparked reactions on social media. Instagram users noted the "minor adjustment," with one commenter writing, "Y'ALL MOVED THE HAND?" Another user lamented, "RIP LA LA HAND (2016-2026). You will be missed (but Ryan will be so happy)." Some users shared humorous or even serious reactions, with one writing they had gotten the pose tattooed and another suggesting the original hand position implied incompatibility between the characters.
"La La Land," directed by Damien Chazelle, stars Gosling as pianist Seb Wilder, who dreams of opening his own jazz club, and Stone as Mia Dolan, an aspiring actress. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $504.6 million worldwide against a $30 million budget and winning six Academy Awards. It also notably experienced a Best Picture announcement error at the 89th Academy Awards, where it was initially, and incorrectly, named Best Picture before the award was corrected to "Moonlight."
The re-release of "La La Land" is scheduled to begin on August 16.