MOVIE NEWS – Yorgos Lanthimos premiered his new film Bugonia in Athens, where Emma Stone’s absence was filled with a humorous message — even a joke about teleportation made the crowd laugh.

The 31st Athens International Film Festival hosted the Greek premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film, Bugonia. After its successful screening in Venice, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion, Lanthimos told the audience before the Athens premiere that nothing excites him more than presenting his work to a home crowd. Unfortunately, Emma Stone, the star of Bugonia, couldn’t attend the premiere, but she sent a message to the Greek audience. Lanthimos revealed that although Stone doesn’t speak Greek, she had learned a few phrases for the occasion. The director played her recorded greeting from his phone: “Good evening. I wanted to be with you tonight for Bugonia’s first screening in Greece, but unfortunately, teleportation didn’t work. I wish you a great screening and a pleasant evening.”

The playful message delighted the audience and set the tone for Lanthimos’ satirical and absurd film. Bugonia is a reinterpretation of the cult South Korean sci-fi film Save the Green Planet!. Two deranged cousins (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) kidnap a corporate CEO (Stone) because they are convinced she is a dangerous alien. A bizarre psychological battle unfolds between the conspiracy theorists and their captive…

(Bugonia – Hungarian release: November 6, 2025)

Source: UIP Dunafilm