Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons will officially star in Yorgos Lanthimos’ next movie, ‘Bugonia‘. The film is a remake of the South Korean sci-fi comedy ‘Save the Green Planet‘, with worldwide rights acquired by Focus Features.
The film 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 film will be released in the U.S. by Focus and distributed internationally (excluding South Korea) by Universal Pictures. Producers include Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures, Yorgos Lanthimos, Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Emma Stone via her Fruit Tree banner, and Jerry Kyoungboum Ko of CJ ENM.
This is Focus Features’ second deal announced at Cannes this week, following the acquisition of Woody Harrelson’s Last Breath. It’s a notable win for the studio, as Yorgos Lanthimos’ previous Oscar-winning films, like The Favourite and Poor Things, were handled by Searchlight.
In a statement, Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski, said, “Yorgos Lanthimos is a cinematic visionary with a singular style that has captivated audiences worldwide.” Kujawski added, “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.”
Guiney and Lowe said, “We are so looking forward to working with the brilliant team at Focus Features and are delighted to be reuniting with Yorgos, Emma, and Jesse as well as many of the great crew we have collaborated with on recent films.”
Kyongboum Ko said, “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.”
The release date for ‘Bugonia’ is scheduled for 2025.
