The first trailer has arrived for Bugonia, the latest offbeat offering from Yorgos Lanthimos and his frequent collaborator Emma Stone. Based on the 2003 South Korean cult film Save the Green Planet! (watch the bonkers trailer for that one HERE), the upcoming sci-fi dark comedy looks to be another eccentric chapter in Lanthimos’ growing catalogue—and a genre shift that still keeps his trademark surrealism intact. Take a look above and learn more below.
An Alien Conspiracy, or Just Two Guys Losing It?
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The film follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap a powerful corporate CEO, convinced she’s secretly an alien plotting Earth’s destruction. That logline alone offers a hint at the strange energy this one’s aiming for—and the trailer does little to make things clearer. That’s a good thing.
Jesse Plemons and newcomer Aidan Delbis are the duo determined to take down this extraterrestrial threat, while Stone – with a seemingly calm presence that may or may not be a cover – is the alleged alien. Alicia Silverstone and comedian Stavros Halkias round out the cast.
Lanthimos Leans Into the Absurd
This marks Lanthimos’ fifth collaboration with Stone (following The Favourite, Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness, and short film Bleat), and while Bugonia seems like a thematic departure, it’s still shaped by his distinct visual and tonal style. The trailer hints at something that straddles deadpan comedy, psychological unease, and outright absurdism—territory this filmmaker is no stranger to. The screenplay adaptation comes from Will Tracy, who penned 2022 dark comedy satire The Menu.
Behind the camera are several of Lanthimos’ long-time collaborators, including editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis, cinematographer Robbie Ryan, and composer Jerskin Fendrix. The film is produced by Lanthimos and Stone, alongside filmmaker Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Miky Lee, and Jerry Kyoungboum Ko.
Release Details
Bugonia opens in select U.S. theatres for a limited engagement on October 24 before a wide release on October 31. An Australian release is yet to be confirmed.
