When reports first surfaced that Emma Stone would re-team with Yorgos Lanthimos for a remake of the Korean cult film Save the Green Planet!, the reaction was immediate excitement mixed with curiosity. How do you follow Poor Things?
The answer arrived in the form of Bugonia — a darker, tighter, more confrontational film that proved the Stone–Lanthimos partnership was not a one-genre experiment but a genuine creative alliance capable of shifting tone and still delivering something singular.
From The Favourite to Poor Things to Bugonia
Their collaboration began with The Favourite (2018), expanded into the maximalist, Oscar-winning Poor Things (2023), continued with the fragmented and severe Kinds of Kindness (2024), and reached another peak with Bugonia (2025). Each film asked something different of Stone, and each time she met the request without sanding down the strangeness Lanthimos requires.
What makes the partnership unusual is the level of trust. Lanthimos’s films often place actors in extreme physical or psychological positions. Stone has repeatedly shown she is willing to go there — shaved head, prosthetics, long takes of vulnerability and control, multiple contradictory roles in a single film. That willingness has turned their working relationship into one of the most closely watched director–actor pairings of the past decade.
The Save the Green Planet Connection
Early industry reports specifically linked Stone to Lanthimos’s English-language remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 film Save the Green Planet!. That project became Bugonia. In it, Stone plays Michelle Fuller, a pharmaceutical CEO kidnapped by conspiracy theorists who believe she is an alien. Jesse Plemons co-stars as the primary captor.
The film retained the core premise of the Korean original while filtering it through Lanthimos’s precise, often merciless visual style and Stone’s ability to remain unpredictable even when physically restrained. The result felt less like a conventional remake and more like a natural extension of the world the two had already been building together.
Why the Re-Team Mattered
After the scale and awards success of Poor Things, many expected the next collaboration to either go bigger or retreat into safer territory. Instead, Bugonia went smaller in setting and colder in tone. The choice signaled that neither Stone nor Lanthimos felt obligated to repeat a winning formula. They treated the partnership as a place to take risks rather than protect a brand.
That decision has kept the collaboration creatively alive. Each new film feels like a distinct chapter rather than a variation on the last one. Audiences and critics have responded to that unpredictability; the films continue to generate discussion long after their initial release windows.
Where the Partnership Stands in 2026
As of October 2026, Bugonia is still part of the cultural conversation, available on streaming and digital platforms, and frequently cited in discussions of Stone’s recent body of work. Stone herself has moved into new territory with the upcoming rom-com The Catch, directed by her husband Dave McCary, while Lanthimos’s next steps remain closely watched.
Whether they reunite for a fifth feature is an open question. What is no longer in doubt is the strength of the creative bond. Few contemporary pairings have produced four consecutive films that feel this distinct from one another while still sharing a clear artistic DNA.
Quick Answer: Did Emma Stone Re-Team with Yorgos Lanthimos After Poor Things?
Yes. Their next major collaboration was Bugonia (2025), the English-language remake of Save the Green Planet!, in which Stone stars opposite Jesse Plemons. They also worked together on Kinds of Kindness in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
What films have Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos made together?
The Favourite (2018), Poor Things (2023), Kinds of Kindness (2024), and Bugonia (2025).
Is Bugonia the Save the Green Planet remake?
Yes. Bugonia is Lanthimos’s English-language version of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!.
What makes their collaboration distinctive?
Stone’s consistent willingness to take extreme physical and emotional risks inside Lanthimos’s controlled, often alienating worlds, combined with his trust in her as a central performer across very different tones.
Will they work together again?
No official fifth project has been announced as of October 2026, but the strength of the partnership leaves the door open.
How does Bugonia differ from Poor Things?
Poor Things was expansive, colorful, and ultimately life-affirming. Bugonia is tighter, darker, more claustrophobic, and less interested in offering the audience comfort.
The re-team that once existed only as an industry rumor delivered one of the more uncompromising films of its year. In doing so, it confirmed that Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos are not simply repeating a successful formula. They are still pushing each other — and that is rare enough to keep watching.
Author: Shivam Das
