Emma Stone’s latest film, Bugonia, has made a significant impact at the box office, setting a new record for director Yorgos Lanthimos. The film, which is a remake of the South Korean movie Save the Green Planet!, directed by Jang Joon-hwan, has garnered attention as it prepares for its wide release over the Halloween weekend.
The storyline follows Stone’s character, who is abducted by a conspiracy theorist convinced that she is an alien. As Deadline reports, Bugonia is projected to earn approximately $4.4 million in its opening weekend, marking the largest wide release debut for Lanthimos, surpassing Poor Things, which previously held the record with $2.9 million. Currently, Bugonia has achieved a domestic box office total of $5.5 million, but it still faces a challenge, given its production budget of $45 million, the highest for Lanthimos to date.
Despite the competitive landscape at the box office this year, Bugonia has potential to gain traction as the holiday season approaches. The film has also received critical acclaim, holding an impressive 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August, Stone has emerged as a strong contender for the Academy Award for Best Actress, especially due to her commitment to the role, which included shaving her head.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stone expressed her initial fears about the drastic change, sharing that she felt like she had to “play dead” during the process. If she wins, Stone could make history by securing her third Best Actress Oscar, a feat no actor has achieved since Katharine Hepburn, who holds the record for the most acting Oscars with four.
This collaboration between Lanthimos and Stone has proven fruitful, with their previous projects earning numerous Academy Award nominations and wins. Lanthimos has received two nominations for Best Director for Poor Things and The Favourite, while Stone won her second Oscar for the former. Bugonia also marks the second collaboration between Lanthimos and actor Jesse Plemons, following their work in Kinds of Kindness.
Currently, Lanthimos has confirmed to Collider that he is taking a break from filmmaking, and Stone also does not have any upcoming projects lined up. The success of Bugonia may provide both with an opportunity to reflect on their careers and plan their next ventures.
As the film continues to draw attention, it remains to be seen how it will perform in the coming weeks, especially with the added buzz from the awards season. The combination of a strong premise, critical acclaim, and a dedicated fanbase could help Bugonia solidify its place in cinematic history.
