The most anticipated film of the season, "Bugonia," from Oscar-winning Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, has opened in Athens. But the arrival is bittersweet for his thousands of local admirers, as it may be his last film for some time.
Mr. Lanthimos recently told Collider he plans to take a "serious" break from filmmaking after a relentless creative run. "I can’t keep doing that anymore," he said. "I’m going to take a little break." This follows his previous five-year hiatus between 2018's "The Favourite" and 2023's "Poor Things."
"Bugonia" is an English-language black comedy, a remake of the 2003 South Korean cult classic "Save the Green Planet!" It stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. The plot follows two young men who kidnap a powerful CEO (Ms. Stone), convinced she is an alien plotting to destroy Earth.
Mr. Lanthimos called the script "extremely impactful" and "even more relevant now." At the Venice Film Festival, he stated, "Not much of the dystopia in this film is very fictional."
Greek film critic Yannis Zoumboulakis, writing for To Vima, described the film as "a sweet introduction that soon clashes with a brutally pessimistic ending."
"Bugonia" opens this week in cinemas across Athens and Thessaloniki.