Alien Chic: Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone Reunite for the Sci-Fi Satire of the Year
In a cinematic pairing that has become nothing short of iconic, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos reunite once more—this time to probe alien conspiracies, boardroom power, and the fine line between genius and madness—in Bugonia, the new genre-defying black comedy from Focus Features. The first full-length trailer dropped this week, and with it, the internet did what it does best: spiral.
Premiering in competition at the Venice Film Festival, Bugonia is an English-language reimagining of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet!—a film with equal parts paranoia, sci-fi camp, and razor-sharp political satire. In Lanthimos’ sleek retelling, Stone steps into the role of a high-powered CEO, immaculately dressed, unbothered, and possibly not of this Earth. Two conspiracy theorists, played by Jesse Plemons and newcomer Aidan Delbis, kidnap her in a delusional attempt to save humanity. Their belief? That she’s an alien overlord bent on planetary destruction.
The film is written by Succession alum Will Tracy and boasts a cast as unexpected as the plot itself: Alicia Silverstone returns to the screen with a satirical punch, Stavros Halkias brings raw comedic tension, and Jesse Plemons continues his auteur-favorite streak with another deliciously unpredictable performance.
But it’s Stone who commands the spotlight. This marks her fourth collaboration with Lanthimos, following The Favourite, Poor Things (which earned her a second Oscar), and the recent Kinds of Kindness. And this time, she’s not just the muse—she’s also a producer, shaping a narrative that swings from absurd to existential, with her signature balance of bite and beauty.
During a press conference at Venice on August 28, Stone leaned into the extraterrestrial intrigue with stylish candor. “It’s a pretty narcissistic thing to think we’re truly alone out here,” she told reporters. Then, with the kind of deadpan delivery only she can pull off, she added: “So yes, I’m coming out with it—I believe in aliens.”
In a now-viral moment, Stone followed up with a smirk: “How do you know I’m not an alien?” A question that felt less rhetorical and more like fashion week gospel.
Produced by a power lineup including Ari Aster, Miky Lee, and Stone herself, Bugonia promises to be this fall’s most cerebral—and possibly most stylish—ride. The film’s color palette nods to sterile corporate futurism with a surrealist flair, while Stone’s wardrobe evokes late-stage capitalism with couture-level menace.
Bugonia will see a limited release on October 24, followed by a wide expansion just in time for Halloween—appropriately enough, because if Stone’s performance is anything like her last with Lanthimos, it’s going to haunt awards season (and our wardrobes) well into next year.
