Yorgos Lanthimos has been a very busy man. He already has the critically praised “Poor Things,” set for release on December 8. Then there’s “AND,” also starring Emma Stone, which will launch in 2024.
How about another one? Daniel Richtman is reporting that Lanthimos will next be directing a remake of the South Korean film “Save the Green Planet” for CJ Entertainment. Stone is in talks for female lead.
When a radicalized conspiracy theorist kidnaps the CEO of a powerful biomedical company - believing she's an alien - he is pulled into a situation that spirals out of control and, ultimately, becomes the undoing of human civilization.
Yeah, this sounds right up Lanthimos’ alley. I haven’t seen the 2003 original, which sits at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes … I’m still putting this one under “rumor” because something isn’t quite gelling for me.
In May 2020, it was announced that CJ Entertainment would be producing this English-language remake of the cult film with Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen producing. The original’s director, Jang Joon-hwan, was supposed to helm the remake. Richtman now claims Lanthimos will be directing.
If this project does indeed come into fruition then it would be the fourth straight film Lanthimos has made with Stone, and that’s not even counting their recently-premiered short film, “Bleat.”
I know I haven’t yet posted my review of “Poor Things,” but it’ll come soon. I saw it three weeks ago, but way after its premiere at Venice. So, there’s some time, especially since the film has been praised to the high heavens — it’s one of the, if not the, best reviewed film of the year.
Last week, IndieWire speculated that “AND” could have its world premiere at Sundance in January, just as a way for Searchlight to accentuate the “Poor Things” Oscar buzz. The Sundance lineup is supposed to be announced in two weeks.