Yorgos Lanthimos to Reunite With Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons for Alien Conspiracy Drama ‘Bugonia’ at Focus Features

Matt Donnelly
·2 min read
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Yorgos Lanthimos can’t stop (won’t stop!) working with Oscar winner Emma Stone, casting the actress once again as leading lady for his next project “Bugonia.”

The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

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“Bugonia” follows 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 script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.

Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer CJ ENM will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.

This package is loaded with pedigree. “Bugonia” is based on the 2003 Korean film “Save the Green Planet.” It was developed for English adaptation by acclaimed director Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen for their Square Peg production label. Aster and Knudson will produce the project with Lanthimos veterans Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe (Element Pictures), alongside Lanthimos, Stone and Miky Lee and Jerry Kyoungboum Ko (CJ ENM).

“Yorgos Lanthimos is a cinematic visionary with a singular style that has captivated audiences worldwide. We could not be more excited to partner with him, Emma and the incredible teams at Element, Square Peg and CJ ENM to reimagine this twisted and darkly funny story,” said Focus Features honcho Peter Kujawski.

“I am thrilled to introduce the intriguing story rooted in Korean Cinema’s hidden gem, in collaboration with the ideal team of talent and producers, alongside the reliable studio. I expect that Yorgos will ignite a dynamic chemical fusion with his unique style and the novelty of the narrative,” added Kyoungboum Ko.

Stone is represented by Anonymous Content, WME, The Lede Company and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett and Kole. Plemons is represented by TalentWorks and attorney David Matlof.

Lanthimos’ prolific body of work includes “Dogtooth,” the Oscar-nominated “The Lobster,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “The Favourite,” and the triumphant “Poor Things” — which this year earned 11 Academy Award nominations and four wins, including best actress for Stone.

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