Emma Stone’s ‘Bugonia’ Not Dystopia, Says Director Yorgos Lanthimos/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film Bugonia premieres at the Venice Film Festival and stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. The director says the sci-fi thriller is not dystopian fiction, but a reflection of current reality. The film hits U.S. theaters on October 24.
‘Bugonia’ at Venice Quick Looks
- Bugonia premieres at Venice Film Festival in Golden Lion competition
- Yorgos Lanthimos says film’s dystopia closely mirrors real life
- Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons lead in sci-fi horror remake
- Remake of 2003 Korean film Save the Green Planet!
- Story follows man who kidnaps pharma CEO, believing she’s alien
- Script written by Succession writer Will Tracy
- Ari Aster was once attached before Lanthimos signed on
- Stone shaved her head for the role, calls script bold
- Lanthimos: film reflects threats from AI, war, and climate crisis
- Bugonia opens in U.S. theaters on October 24 via Focus Features
Deep Look: Yorgos Lanthimos Says New Film Bugonia Is a Reflection of Reality, Not Dystopia
VENICE, Italy — August 28, 2025 — When Bugonia premieres Thursday evening at the Venice Film Festival, audiences may expect a dystopian thriller full of absurdity and dark satire. But according to director Yorgos Lanthimos, the story’s exaggerated plot isn’t far from reality at all.
“Not much of the dystopia in this film is very fictional,” Lanthimos said during a press conference. “A lot of it is very reflective of the real world.”
Starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, Bugonia follows a conspiracy-obsessed man who kidnaps the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, convinced she is an alien working to destroy humanity. What follows is a chaotic blend of science fiction, horror, and dark comedy — a genre fusion that Lanthimos is known for mastering.
While the premise may sound fantastical, the Greek filmmaker insists that the narrative mirrors real-world fears about technology, artificial intelligence, environmental collapse, and social fragmentation.
“Humanity is facing a reckoning very soon,” he warned. “People need to choose the right path… with everything that’s happening in the world — AI, wars, climate change.”
A Script That Felt Urgently Relevant
Bugonia is a remake of the 2003 Korean cult film Save the Green Planet!, and was penned by Will Tracy, known for his writing on Succession. The adaptation had been in development for several years, with Ari Aster originally attached before Lanthimos took over.
“I have never before been given a script that felt so ready to be made,” Lanthimos said. “It was funny, entertaining, but also impactful — it made you think deeply.”
What struck him most was the timeliness of the themes. “It felt very relevant three years ago when I read it,” he said. “Now it feels even more urgent.”
Emma Stone: “It’s Funny, F***ed Up, and Alive”
This marks Emma Stone’s fourth collaboration with Lanthimos, following their Oscar-winning success with Poor Things in 2023. Jesse Plemons also returns after starring in Kinds of Kindness, another recent Lanthimos project.
Stone called the filming experience “comforting and safe,” thanks to the recurring cast and crew that now feel like a “family.” As for her extreme physical transformation — she shaved her head for the role — Stone was unfazed.
“It was the easiest thing in the world,” she said, adding that the script was “funny and [expletive] up and alive,” and a reflection of “what’s going on in the world.”
A Real-World Warning
For Lanthimos, Bugonia is not just another surrealist experiment. It’s a warning — cleverly disguised as an entertaining thriller — about the consequences of unchecked societal breakdown.
“I hope this film will trigger people to think about what’s happening today all over the world,” he said.
Whether it’s the erosion of trust in institutions, the rise of conspiracy theories, or the dangers of unchecked technological power, Bugonia captures the anxiety of the moment.
The film is also a contender for Venice’s prestigious Golden Lion, which Lanthimos last won in 2023 with Poor Things. That film later earned multiple Oscars, including Best Actress for Stone.
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