Confirmed: Yorgos Lanthimos' ‘Bugonia' to Start Production in June [Update]

UPDATE: We have a title for Yorgos Lanthimos’ remake, it’s called “Bugonia” and 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 is set to star Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.

UPDATE: Variety has confirmed that this is indeed Lanthimos’ next project, set to shoot this summer.

EARLIER: Yorgos Lanthimos has been very busy of late. He already has the critically praised “Poor Things,” set for the Oscars in March. Then there’s “Kind of Kindness,” also starring Emma Stone, which will be launched this year, possibly at Cannes.

How about another one? Last year, Daniel Richtman had reported that Lanthimos would next be directing a remake of the South Korean film, “Save the Green Planet!” for CJ Entertainment. Stone is also in talks for the female lead. Here’s the synopsis:

The film follows Teddy, a young and anxious beekeeper who becomes convinced that extraterrestrial beings from Andromeda are orchestrating the destruction of the environment. Along with his devoted cousin Don, they kidnap a powerful pharmaceutical executive named Michelle to prevent a total disaster. The movie is a blend of dark comedy, tense thriller, eco-fiction, sci-fi, and sharp societal critique.

We can now add a production start date. In the latest issue of Production Weekly, there’s a posting about “Save the Green Planet” starting to shoot this coming June in the UK and NYC. Will Tracy (“Succession,” “The Menu”) penned the screenplay. Ari Aster is on-board as producer.

Yes, this sounds right up Lanthimos’ alley. I haven’t seen the 2003 original, which sits at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, but maybe I should before this one comes out?

In an interview last month with Dazed, Lanthimos revealed that he’s still working with Ottessa Moshfegh on an adaptation of “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” and that he could possibly be eyeing the remake of “Save the Green Planet!” as his next film:

There are a number of projects I’m looking at, and [Save the Green Planet!] is one of those.

In May 2020, it was announced that CJ Entertainment would be producing this English-language remake of the cult film. The original’s director, Jang Joon-hwan, was supposed to helm the remake, but it looks as though Lanthimos will now be directing.

If this project does indeed come to fruition then it would be the fourth straight film that Lanthimos has made with Stone, and that’s not even counting their recently-premiered short film, “Bleat.”