For Yorgos Lanthimos, new Emma Stone film ‘Bugonia’ isn’t a dystopia. It’s real

VENICE, Italy (AP) — In the new Yorgos Lanthimos film “Bugonia,” a disturbed, conspiracy obsessed man kidnaps the head of a pharmaceutical company and tortures her in an attempt to save humanity. The kidnapper, played by Jesse Plemons, believes his hostage, played by Emma Stone, is an alien. While the situation is heightened, Lanthimos believes that the film isn’t so far-fetched.

“Not much of the dystopia in this film is very fictional,” Yorgos said Thursday at the Venice Film Festival. “A lot of it is very reflective of the real world.”

“Bugonia” is having its world premiere Thursday evening at the prestigious festival, where it’s in competition for the top prize, the Golden Lion. Focus Features is releasing the film in North American theaters on Oct. 24.

The film is a remake of the 2003 Korean film “Save the Green Planet!,” and blends elements of science fiction, horror and comedy. Plemons’ character is obsessed with the idea that Stone is one of an alien species that has have infiltrated Earth with plans to destroy it. The adaptation, written by Will Tracy, has been in development for several years, with Ari Aster involved before Lanthimos came on board to direct.

“I have never before been given a script that felt so ready to be made,” Lanthimos said. “I just thought it was so funny and entertaining but also extremely impactful and made you really think about things deeply. I immediately was interested in making it. It felt very relevant then and that was three years ago and it feels even more relevant now.”

This is Stone’s fourth time working with Lanthimos and Plemons’ second. Both recently appeared in the film “Kinds of Kindness.” Lanthimos last had a film at Venice in 2023, when “Poor Things” won the Golden Lion prize. It went on to win several Oscars including best actress for Stone.

“I love the material he’s drawn to and the worlds he wants to explore,” Stone said. She added that although it sounds cliche, having familiar cast and crew around feels like family and a “really comforting and safe environment to explore.”

Part of the role required shaving her head, which she said was the “easiest thing in the world.” Stone said she especially loved how “funny and (expletive) up and alive” the script was, and how it reflected the world.

Over the course of developing the script and making the film, Lanthimos said its themes only became more relevant.

“Humanity is facing a reckoning very soon,” Lanthimos said. “People need to choose the right path in many ways otherwise I don’t know how much time we have with everything that’s happening in the world with technology, with AI, with wars … climate change.”

He added that he hopes his film “will trigger people to think about what’s happening today all over the world.”

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