One of those best things about going out to see a show? The theater snacks. Maybe a box of nachos or a little cup of ice-cream to see you through the evening—but Emma Stone is all about the popcorn. And she made sure she had enough to hand at SNL50: The Anniversary Special in New York City, by wearing her own cinema snacks on her hips.
The actor stepped onto the red carpet with partner and former SNL writer Dave McCary sporting a custom Louis Vuitton, cinema seat red, halterneck dress. The dress had two pockets that were heaping with popcorn. The rest of Stone’s look was simple: Louis Vuitton red heels, gold star-shaped earrings, and in lieu of a bag, a candy-striped popcorn box filled with more popcorn that she of course helped herself to. Stone wore her hair in her latest pixie cut.
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It was also a special sort of date night for Stone and McCary ,who first met in 2016, when Stone, who hosted SNL in December that same year, starred in a sketch directed by McCary, “Wells for Boys.” Stone is also one of only a few five-time SNL hosts (and remains the youngest to have ever done so) including Steve Martin and Tom Hanks.
It’s also not the first time popcorn has been part of the 2025 entertainment industry chatter. Rewind, to Demi Moore’s speech at the 2025 Golden Globes ,when she won best actress for The Substance. It marked the first major industry award in the 62-year-old actor’s 45-year career, and in her moving acceptance speech, she acknowledged the stereotypes she has faced for having starred in films primed for entertainment value and box-office earnings over critical reception or contributions to cinema discourse—defying the ‘popcorn actress’ label. And as the weekend of SNL celebrations continued and we reflected on the mammoth show’s impact on pop culture, the moniker feels even more foolish.
Stone’s snackable style was by longtime stylist Petra Flannery, whose other client Zoe Saldaña took home best supporting actress for Emilia Perez at the BAFTAs on the same evening. Less campy than Stone but still big on the drama, Zoe Saldaña wore a pleated collar Yves Saint Laurent gown.
We could maybe just about get away with likening Stone’s popcorn-filled pockets to the structured hips and peplum silhouetted gowns that are more in keeping with her usual red carpet style: like her eggshell colored 2024 Oscars gown, or her red shelf-hipped 2025 Golden Globes dress—both also by Louis Vuitton. Popcorn pockets or whimsy peplums, Stone tends to lean into classic Hollywood glamor and elegant gowns.
Her last red carpet surprise was all about her newly done pixie cut—which she’s likely cut for Bugonia, her latest film with Yorgos Lanthimos and which is set to debut in 2025.
Stone’s SNL50 dress went down well with fellow attendees—Seth Rogan even got a couple of handfuls. Feeling peckish? Emma Stone’s got you. But one question that remains: was it sweet or salted, buttered or toffee?
