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Bugonia: Release date, cast and characters, plot, where to watch and more

Bugonia marks Yorgos Lanthimos' fourth collaboration with Emma Stone. Read to know more details about the film.
posted by Sudipta Sinha
Tuesday 10/21/2025 at 12:30AM EDT
  • A scene from Bugonia (Image via YouTube/@FocusFeatures)
    A scene from Bugonia (Image via YouTube/@FocusFeatures)

    Bugonia is a 2025 absurdist black comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, with the screenplay written by Will Tracy. It is based on the 2003 South Korean cult sci-fi thriller "Save the Green Planet!" by Jang Joon-hwan, and is scheduled to be released theatrically in the U.S. this month.

    The official trailer for Bugonia, starring Emma Stone as a company CEO and Jesse Plemons as an unsettled beekeeper, was released in August 2025. It highlights the film’s eccentric tone and escalating suspense, blending dark humor with psychological tension. The haunting score accentuates Emma’s gripping performance and Jesse’s unsettling energy.

    Filming for Bugonia began in July 2024 in High Wycombe, England, with additional locations including Henley-on-Thames and Oxshott in the UK. For its climactic sequence, the filmmakers intended to shoot at the Acropolis in Athens, but when permission was denied, the production relocated the finale to Sarakiniko Beach on the Greek Island of Milos in May 2025.

    When will Bugonia release in theaters?

     

    Distributed by Focus Features, Bugonia will initially receive a limited theatrical release in the United States on Friday, October 24, 2025. The film is set for a wider release on Friday, October 31, 2025, in the following week.

    Exploring the cast and characters of Bugonia

    In Bugonia, Emma Stone takes on the role of Michelle Fuller, a powerful and enigmatic CEO who becomes the victim of a bizarre hostage situation after two delusional conspiracy theorists become convinced she is an extraterrestrial being. The film marks Emma’s fourth project with Yorgos Lanthimos, following The Favourite (2018), Poor Things (2023) and Kinds of Kindness (2024).

    Jesse Plemons stars as Teddy, a beekeeper consumed by apocalyptic fears and alien conspiracies. Teddy leads the abduction of Michelle in hopes of uncovering what he believes to be the truth about Earth’s infiltration. Aidan Delbis plays Don, Teddy’s cousin and loyal partner in the kidnapping plot, who is driven by a mix of fear and misguided conviction.

    The trio is supported by a talented ensemble, which includes Stavros Halkias as Casey, a local police officer drawn into the escalating chaos. Alicia Silverstone appears in the film as Sandy, Teddy’s mother, whose past holds unexpected connections to the conspiracy that drives the story forward.

    Looking at the plot of Bugonia

    Bugonia is an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan. The story follows Teddy (Jesse Plemons), a troubled beekeeper obsessed with conspiracies, and his cousin Don, who kidnap Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), a powerful biotech CEO. Teddy is convinced she’s an alien planning to destroy Earth. They hold her captive in isolation, subjecting her to bizarre tests and psychological torment as they try to force a confession.

    Michelle fights to prove she is human, even as Teddy’s paranoia escalates. The film uses surreal flashbacks to explore his motivations, which are rooted in environmental fears, distrust of giant corporations, and his own personal grief over his mother’s suffering.

    Where to watch Bugonia?

    Bugonia premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025, and has been making rounds of the festival circuits in the following months. Distributed by Focus Features, the film will receive a limited theatrical release in cities such as Los Angeles and New York in the United States on Friday, October 24, 2025, and a wider release on the following Friday, October 31, 2025.

    As of the time of writing, there has been no announcement of Bugonia being made available on streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+. The film will be available exclusively in theaters for now, before being picked up by one or more platforms.

    Check in for more news and updates from the world of films and TV shows.

    TOPICS: Yorgos Lanthimos & Emma Stone, Bugonia