Emma Stone‘s latest film, Bugonia, has made a significant impact at the box office, setting a record for director Yorgos Lanthimos. The film, which is a remake of the Korean movie Save the Green Planet!, directed by Jang Joon-hwan, follows a conspiracy theorist who abducts Stone’s character, believing she is an alien. With a wide release scheduled for Halloween weekend, Bugonia is projected to earn $4.4 million in its opening weekend, marking Lanthimos’ biggest wide opening to date, surpassing the previous record set by Poor Things at $2.9 million.
Box Office Performance and Future Prospects
Currently, Bugonia has accumulated $5.5 million at the domestic box office. Despite this promising start, the film faces a challenging path to profitability, given its budget of $45 million, making it Lanthimos’ most expensive project to date. The director’s highest-grossing film, Poor Things, earned $34 million domestically and $111 million globally.
The 2023 box office has been difficult for many films, yet Bugonia may gain traction as the holiday season approaches. Additionally, the film has received critical acclaim, currently holding an impressive 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes. After its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August, Stone has emerged as a strong contender for Best Actress, partly due to her commitment to the role, which included shaving her head.
Award Season Buzz and Collaborations
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stone expressed her initial fear about shaving her head, stating, “I was so afraid to shave my head because I am not awake there, I was like, play dead, basically.” If successful, this could mark a historic moment for Stone, as she would win her third Best Actress Oscar, a feat that has not been accomplished since Katharine Hepburn achieved it.
Lanthimos and Stone have developed a strong partnership over the years, with multiple projects garnering Academy Award nominations and wins. Lanthimos has been nominated twice for Best Director for Poor Things and The Favourite, while Stone won her second Oscar for the former. Bugonia also sees the return of actor Jesse Plemons, reuniting with Lanthimos after their collaboration on Kinds of Kindness.
As of now, Lanthimos has confirmed to Collider that he is taking a “little break” from filmmaking, and Stone does not have any upcoming projects lined up. As Bugonia continues to make waves both at the box office and in awards conversations, its unique narrative and powerful performances are likely to keep it in the spotlight for some time.
