Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness) from a screenplay by Will Tracy (The Menu), Bugonia is a new sci-fi comedy about two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
The cast is led by Emma Stone, with Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone joining her. Now, the first trailer and poster have been released (via SFFGazette.com), and all signs point to this being another quirky, unique tale from Lanthimos.
An English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan, Bugonia sees an unrecognisable Stone forced to contend with the two weirdos who have kidnapped her.
The Amazing Spider-Man star looks unrecognisable here, and it seems Bugonia will keep us guessing when it comes to whether she's an alien. For the most part, this surreal sneak peek keeps the movie's sci-fi elements under wraps.
"Well, actually just this one is one of the few times that I read a script that I hadn’t generated or I hadn’t been developing for a long time, and I was immediately drawn to it," Lanthimos told The Playlist last year. "And then I did a little bit of work with the writer Will Tracy in order to make it a little bit more my own. It’s just one of these things that something clicks in the story, in the tone."
"Again, something you probably haven’t done before, working with the same actors, like working with Emma again and Jesse, it’s just exciting to get into it, do something different, but also with that kind of familiarity," he noted.
Discussing her latest collaboration with Lanthimos, Stone said earlier today, "It’s clear that I love working with Yorgos and I love the material he’s drawn to and the characters he explores. What it ends up feeling like is a really comforting and safe environment to explore and feel as free as possible because you know these people."
"I know everybody says that 'we’re a family' thing, but it really does feel like that. There’s so much that’s happening that’s reflective of this time in our world," she continued, "and it’s told in a way that’s really fascinating and moving, funny and f***ed up, and alive."
Focus Features will release Bugonia with a special limited engagement on October 24, ahead of a wide expansion on October 31.