EXCLUSIVE: Hitting a High Note — Radar Reveals Secrets of How 'La La Land' Was Made As Beloved Flick Turns 10
'La La Land' turns 10 as its filmmaking secrets and lasting legacy are revealed.
July 3 2026, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
La La Land is a modern Hollywood musical that blends romance, ambition and nostalgia into a visually dazzling story about dreams and the sacrifices often required to achieve them, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Love Meets Hollywood Dreams
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone star in 'La La Land,' a Hollywood musical about love, ambition and sacrifice.
Released in 2016 and directed by Damien Chazelle, the film stars Emma Stone as Mia, an aspiring actress, and Ryan Gosling as Sebastian, a passionate jazz pianist determined to preserve the music he loves.
Set against the backdrop of Los Angeles, the movie pays tribute to the classic musicals of Hollywood's golden age while telling a contemporary story about love and career aspirations.
The story begins as Mia struggles through a series of disappointing auditions while working at a coffee shop on a studio lot. Sebastian, meanwhile, is a talented musician who finds himself playing uninspiring gigs simply to pay the bills. Their paths cross several times before they eventually fall in love.
Encouraging one another to pursue their ambitions, Mia writes and performs her own one-woman play, while Sebastian joins a successful contemporary jazz band that offers financial stability but pulls him away from his original artistic vision.
As their careers begin to take shape, the relationship faces mounting pressure. Mia's play initially attracts little attention, leaving her discouraged and ready to abandon her dreams. Sebastian, however, convinces her to attend one final audition, which leads to a breakthrough opportunity.
Success Came at Heartbreaking Cost
Damien Chazelle's 'La La Land' follows Stone's breakthrough after Gosling's character encourages her to attend one final audition.
Years later, the film's bittersweet ending reveals that both have achieved professional success, though they are no longer together. In a memorable fantasy sequence, the audience is shown an alternative version of their lives, imagining what might have been had circumstances been different.
It is a poignant reminder that success sometimes comes at a personal cost.
La La Land was an ambitious project that took years to reach the screen. Chazelle had long wanted to create an original musical, but studios were hesitant to invest in a genre many considered commercially risky. The film's production emphasized practical filmmaking whenever possible.
The famous opening number, "Another Day of Sun," was filmed on an actual Los Angeles freeway and required extensive choreography involving dozens of dancers and vehicles.
Record Success, Infamous Mix-Up
Stone and Gosling spent months preparing for 'La La Land,' with Gosling training extensively on piano.
Stone and Gosling spent months learning skills for their roles, with Gosling training extensively on the piano so that many of his performances could be filmed without the need for hand doubles.
The film became both a critical and commercial success, earning widespread praise for its music, cinematography, performances and emotional storytelling. It received a record-tying 14 Academy Award nominations and won six Oscars, including Best Director for Chazelle and Best Actress for Stone.
However, La La Land is also remembered for one of the most unfortunate moments in Oscar history. At the 89th Academy Awards in 2017, presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner of Best Picture.
Historic Oscars Blunder Unfolded
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Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty mistakenly announced 'La La Land' as Best Picture before 'Moonlight' was declared the actual winner.
The cast and producers took the stage and began acceptance speeches before it was revealed that the presenters had been handed the wrong envelope – the card for Best Actress, which had gone to Emma Stone.
In an unprecedented and awkward correction, the ceremony was halted and the true winner, Moonlight, was announced.
The mix-up stunned viewers around the world and instantly became one of the most jaw-dropping moments in Academy Awards history, forever linking La La Land not only with cinematic excellence but also with an unforgettable Oscars blunder.
