‘La La Land’s Director Reveals The Secret To Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling’s Chemistry

emma stone ryan gosling la la land

by Katie Rosseinsky |
Published on

It won’t arrive in UK cinemas until next January but, thanks to film festival hype, a clutch of stunning trailers and the musical talents of its stars, La La Land has already become one of the most talked about movies of this year.

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle (the man behind last year’s Oscar favourite, Whiplash), La La Land tells the story of aspiring actress Mia, played by Stone, and jazz musician Sebastian (Gosling) as they attempt to pursue their dreams of stardom under the bright lights of contemporary Los Angeles. In the director’s own words, it’s ‘a contemporary love story […] about two dreamers in Los Angeles who are trying to make it […] It’s about how you kind of balance life and art and your dream life with reality, which to me is what musicals are all about.’

The film reunites Crazy Stupid Love and Gangster Squad co-stars Gosling and Stone, and the central pair’s easy on-screen chemistry has played a huge part in charming La La Land’s audiences. In a new behind-the-scenes featurette, director Damien Chazelle has pinned down exactly why the duo are such a winning combination, explaining that ‘When we were casting up the movie, part of the appeal to me was that [when you see] Ryan and Emma, [you know] they are going to be a couple.’

‘You can see them and imagine them together. It was like a Fred and Ginger or Bogart and Bacall – a classic Hollywood screen couple,’ he added, with producer Marc Platt concurring that ‘you have two characters who have an on-screen chemistry that I think is one for the ages.’ We quite agree.

You can watch the full featurette – and learn more behind-the-scenes secrets – below.

Hear Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling duet in ‘City Of Stars’

Ahead of the film's arrival in cinemas, the magical piano ballad 'City of Stars,' has been released in full, showcasing the musical talents of Gosling and Stone. Spoiler alert: it's every bit as good as you'd hope...

Watch La La Land’s trailers

Set against the backdrop of a dreamy, sun-soaked City of Angels, the full trailer for La La Land gives us a closer look at the hopes and dreams of Mia and Sebastian - and provides more soundbites from the film's original songs. We'll leave you to revel in its sun-soaked, Old Hollywood-referencing glory…

Prior to this, we were blessed with two teaser trailers featuring no dialogue whatsoever - instead, the clips put Emma and Ryan's considerable musical talents centre stage. Swoon.

La La Land is slated for a UK release date of 13th January 2017.

READ MORE: Which Actress Turned Down Emma Stone's Role In La La Land?

READ MORE: Ryan Gosling Never Said "Hey Girl," OK?

READ MORE: Watch Emma Stone's Hilarious 'Audition' For Star Wars

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us