Exciting news for movie enthusiasts! Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest cinematic masterpiece, Bugonia, is set to grace theaters sooner than anticipated. Focus Features has officially revealed a new release timeline for this highly anticipated film. Originally scheduled for a November 7th debut, Bugonia will now have a special limited engagement premiere on October 24th, followed by a wide release on October 31st. This earlier launch is sure to generate buzz among film lovers and critics alike, eager to experience Lanthimos’s unique storytelling style.

The film features an impressive cast, including Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the screenplay is penned by Will Tracy. The plot centers around two young men obsessed with conspiracy theories who decide to kidnap a powerful CEO, believing she is an alien with plans to annihilate Planet Earth. This darkly comedic narrative promises to engage audiences while also addressing themes of environmentalism and corporate greed. The film is produced by industry leaders, including Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures, with contributions from Emma Stone through Fruit Tree, and others from Square Peg and CJ ENM.

A sneak peek into Bugonia was showcased in a short teaser trailer at CinemaCon last month. The teaser features Jesse Plemons in the role of a beekeeper, whose fervent dedication to environmental preservation drives him to kidnap a wealthy CEO, portrayed by Emma Stone. Convinced that she is an extraterrestrial being bent on Earth’s destruction, Plemons’s character delivers a haunting narration: “It all starts with something magnificent: a flower and a honey bee,” setting the stage for a gripping tale. The teaser also hints at unsettling actions, such as the moment when he shaves Stone’s character’s hair, suggesting that her identity may be more complex than it appears.

Emma Stone has cultivated a remarkable collaborative relationship with Yorgos Lanthimos. Their partnership began with the critically acclaimed film The Favourite in 2018, and she continued this fruitful collaboration in Poor Things, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, and in Kinds of Kindness. Despite their successful synergy, Stone admits she feels anxious when faced with the monologues Lanthimos frequently assigns her. In an interview with Far Out Magazine, she expressed, “There’s nothing I get more panicked about than a monologue,” humorously highlighting Lanthimos’s penchant for pushing her limits as an actress. “Yorgos keeps giving them to me. He just loves to throw me a damn monologue. He doesn’t just sense it. He knows it! I’ll say, ‘I don’t want to do monologues.’ He’s like, ‘You’re doing a monologue.’” Nevertheless, Stone acknowledges that facing these challenges enhances her skills: “It’s good, you know, it helps you to expand.”