Yorgos Lanthimos says he plans to pause directing after the release of Bugonia, citing the pace of making three features in three years. In a recent interview, he called that sprint “a big mistake” and added, “I think I need a break… I’m going to take a little break,” noting he had pushed forward each time a script felt ready rather than waiting between projects. The remarks come as Bugonia follows Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness, capping a run that kept him on sets or in post-production with little downtime.
Bugonia opens in a limited engagement on October 24 before expanding nationwide on October 31. The film is being released by Focus Features in the U.S., with the distributor previously outlining a weeklong special rollout ahead of Halloween to spotlight its large-format capture and theatrical presentation.
The project reunites the director with Emma Stone and co-stars Jesse Plemons. It is an English-language take on the 2003 Korean cult favorite Save the Green Planet!, with a plot that centers on a pharmaceutical executive abducted by conspiracy-obsessed captors who believe she is an alien. Recent promotional beats have underscored the film’s off-kilter tone, including an event in Los Angeles where attendees shaved their heads to mirror the movie’s storyline; the stunt drew coverage and social chatter in the lead-up to opening weekend.
Lanthimos explained that the decision to pause stems from how his workflow compressed: he shot Kinds of Kindness during the lengthy visual-effects period on Poor Things, then moved on to Bugonia after work with writer Will Tracy left the script “ready.” He suggested the reservoir of energy that sustained that cycle has run out for now, framing the step back as a practical reset rather than a change in artistic direction.
