Bugonia (film)
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Prepare yourself for "Bugonia," a 2025 absurdist black comedy from the visionary Yorgos Lanthimos. This is the English-language reimagining of Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 South Korean gem, "Save the Green Planet!" A grand co-production spanning Ireland, South Korea, and the United States, it boasts a stellar cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone.
The premise? Two young men, driven by their wild theories, kidnap a powerful CEO. Their conviction? She's an alien bent on Earth's destruction.
Development sparked as early as 2020, with Jang attached to direct and Tracy crafting the screenplay. Ari Aster soon joined as producer, and by February 2024, Lanthimos took the helm, with Stone signing on as both star and producer. Plemons joined in May, and Focus Features snapped up distribution rights at Cannes. Filming kicked off in July across England and Georgia, with the rest of the cast unveiled during this time. Then, in May 2025, Milos, Greece, became the backdrop for additional scenes.
"Bugonia" world-premiered in the main competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025. Get ready for its United States theatrical release by Focus Features on October 24, 2025.
**Synopsis:**
Two conspiracy-obsessed young men abduct the high-powered CEO of a major company, utterly convinced she's an alien with a plan to obliterate planet Earth.
**Cast:**
Emma Stone as Michelle Fuller, the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company.
Jesse Plemons as Teddy Gatz, a conspiracist beekeeper.
Aidan Delbis as Don, Teddy's cousin and fellow conspiracist.
Stavros Halkias as Casey, a local police officer.
Alicia Silverstone as Sandy Gatz, Teddy's mother.
**Production:**
The journey of this English-language remake of "Save the Green Planet!" began in 2020 with Will Tracy adapting the screenplay and Jang Joon-hwan initially slated to direct. Ari Aster's involvement as producer was crucial, instrumental in bringing Tracy on board and in the bold decision to gender-swap the central character.
By February 2024, the seismic shift: Yorgos Lanthimos was announced as director, with Element Pictures joining the production. Emma Stone entered discussions to star, marking her fourth collaboration with Lanthimos. Jesse Plemons officially joined the ensemble by May, just as the film was retitled "Bugonia" and presented at the Cannes Film Market. Alicia Silverstone was confirmed in October, followed by Aidan Delbis and Stavros Halkias in May 2025.
The film's score is a creation of Jerskin Fendrix, performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, his third Lanthimos collaboration after "Poor Things" and "Kinds of Kindness." Sound designer Johnnie Burn revealed Lanthimos tasked Fendrix with composing based on just four words, withholding the script and footage until after the score was complete.
**Filming:**
Principal photography commenced in July 2024 in High Wycombe, England, and also took place in Atlanta, Georgia, wrapping there in October. Cinematographer Robbie Ryan captured the project on 8-perf 35mm film using VistaVision cameras, his fourth time working with Lanthimos. While Lanthimos initially envisioned the ending scenes filmed at the Acropolis of Athens, a request denied by Greek authorities, the stunning Sarakiniko Beach on the island of Milos became the breathtaking alternative, with filming concluding in May 2025.
**Analysis:**
**Title:**
The word "Bugonia" or "Bougonia" itself is Greek, referencing an ancient Mediterranean belief or ritual where bees were thought to spontaneously emerge from the carcasses of dead animals, particularly oxen.
**Release:**
"Bugonia" made its grand debut at the Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025. Throughout September and October 2025, it's set to captivate audiences at a multitude of prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Telluride, Deauville, San Sebastián, Busan, Fantastic Fest, and many more.
Focus Features secured the worldwide rights outside of South Korea, with CJ ENM Films & Television retaining their rights. Universal Pictures will handle international distribution. The film is slated for a limited release in the United States on October 24, 2025, followed by a wide release on October 31, 2025. It's also set for releases in Ireland by Universal Pictures on October 31, 2025, and in South Korea by CJ ENM on November 5, 2025.
**Reception:**
**Critical response:**
On Rotten Tomatoes, "Bugonia" has garnered a remarkable 90% positive rating from 71 critics. The consensus praises Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons' performances, calling the film a "bonkers entertainment" that masterfully applies Lanthimos' signature style to the madness of modern society. Metacritic awarded the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Bugonia is a 2025 absurdist black comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. It is an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan. A co-production of Ireland, South Korea, and the United States, the film stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. It follows two young men who kidnap a powerful CEO, suspecting that she is secretly an alien who wants to destroy Earth.
Development on the film began as early as 2020, with Jang attached to direct and Tracy adapting the screenplay. Ari Aster came on board as producer soon after, and by February 2024, Lanthimos was hired to direct, replacing Jang, while Stone joined the project both as an actress and producer. Plemons joined the cast that May, and it was soon acquired by Focus Features for distribution at the Cannes Film Festival. Principal photography began in July in High Wycombe, England, and Atlanta, Georgia, and during which time, the rest of the cast was announced. Additional filming took place in May 2025 in Milos, Greece.
Bugonia had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Focus Features on October 24, 2025.
== Synopsis ==
Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
== Cast ==
Emma Stone as Michelle Fuller, the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company
Jesse Plemons as Teddy Gatz, a conspiracist beekeeper
Aidan Delbis as Don, a conspiracist and Teddy's cousin
Stavros Halkias as Casey, a local police officer
Alicia Silverstone as Sandy Gatz, Teddy's mother
== Production ==
Development of an English-language remake of the South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan began in 2020 with Will Tracy adapting the screenplay, and Jang attached to direct the remake. Ari Aster was signed on to produce and was instrumental in the hiring of Tracy and the decision to gender swap the central character from a man to a woman.
In February 2024, it was revealed that Yorgos Lanthimos would be directing the remake in place of Jang, with Element Pictures joining the production team. Emma Stone was also in talks to star in the film, making it her fourth collaboration with Lanthimos. Jesse Plemons officially joined the cast by the time it was retitled Bugonia and taken to the Cannes Film Market in May. In October, Alicia Silverstone joined the cast. In May 2025, it was revealed that Aidan Delbis and Stavros Halkias were cast as well.
Jerskin Fendrix composed the film's score, performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. This marks his third collaboration with Lanthimos after Poor Things (2023) and Kinds of Kindness (2024). According to sound designer Johnnie Burn, Fendrix was asked by Lanthimos to write the score based on four key words. He did not provide him with the script or any other footage until after hearing the score.
=== Filming ===
Principal photography began in July 2024 in High Wycombe, England. Filming also took place in Atlanta, Georgia, where it wrapped there in October. Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan shot the project on 8-perf 35mm film with VistaVision cameras, marking his fourth collaboration with Lanthimos. The director wanted the ending scenes of Bugonia to be filmed in the Acropolis of Athens, but the Central Archaeological Council of Greece rejected his request. The Sarakiniko Beach in the Greek island of Milos was chosen as the alternative location, with filming taking place in May 2025.
== Analysis ==
=== Title ===
"Βουγονία/Bugonia" is a Greek word, spelled "bougonia", which refers to an ancient Mediterranean ritual or belief that bees spontaneously generate from the carcasses of dead animals, particularly oxen.
== Release ==
Bugonia premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025. Through September and October 2025, the film has screened or will screen at the Telluride Film Festival; the Deauville American Film Festival; the Miskolc International Film Festival; the San Sebastián International Film Festival; the Busan International Film Festival; the Fantastic Fest; Hamburg Film Festival; Tribeca Festival Lisboa; the Morelia International Film Festival; the São Paulo International Film Festival; the Zurich Film Festival; the Sitges Film Festival; the Mill Valley Film Festival; the Hamptons International Film Festival; the Woodstock Film Festival; the Montclair Film Festival; the Chicago International Film Festival; the Ghent International Film Festival; the Bogotá International Film Festival; the Istanbul International Film Festival; the AFI Fest; the Bath Film Festival; the Adelaide Film Festival; the Philadelphia Film Festival; the SCAD Savannah Film Festival; the Middleburg Film Festival; the Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival; the BFI London Film Festival; Cambridge Film Festival; Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival; Beyond Fest; and at the inaugural Focus Fest for Focus Features.
Focus Features acquired the film's worldwide rights outside South Korea, which CJ ENM Films & Television retained, to the project at the Marché du Film in May 2024, with its parent Universal Pictures handling international distribution on its behalf. The film is scheduled to have a limited release in the United States on October 24, 2025, before a wide release on October 31, 2025. It was previously scheduled to be released on November 7, 2025. It will be released in Ireland by Universal Pictures on October 31, 2025 and in South Korea by CJ ENM on November 5, 2025.
== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 71 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are at the top of their game in Bugonia, a bonkers entertainment that applies director Yorgos Lanthimos' whip-smart method to modern society's madness." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
=== Accolades ===
== Notes ==
== References ==
== External links ==
Official website
Bugonia at IMDb
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