The South Korean movie Save the Green Planet! has officially announced its remake in the United States, with director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone confirmed to star. In particular, CJ ENM is attracting attention from Hollywood. by planning to co-produce the American remake.
Save the Green Planet! is director Jang Jun Hwan’s debut film, released in Korea in 2003. Film festivals like the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, Freeshell International Fantastic Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival, and Doco Filmax have recognized their domestic and international quality.
The remake’s title is BUGONIA, and it will tell a story about two characters obsessed with conspiracy theories who kidnapped the ruthless CEO of a famous pharmaceutical company, convinced that he is an alien trying to destroy Earth.
Yorgos Lanthimos, a six-time Academy Award nominee, will direct the film. Emma Stone, who won the Best Actress award at the 96th Academy Awards for Poor Things, will star and reunite with Lanthimos. Jesse Plemons, nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards for his roles in Apple TV+ series Flower Killing Moon and Netflix series The Power of the Dog, will also join the cast, raising expectations for the film.
In addition to CJ ENM, director Ari Aster’s Studio Square Peg and Element Pictures, which have continued collaborating with director Yorgos Lanthimos, will co-produce BUGONIA.
Universal Pictures subsidiary Focus Features will handle investment and distribution. CJ ENM began planning the English remake about four years ago to embody a timely story while preserving the original material’s unique material through collaboration with numerous global partners. Ari Aster, director of Hereditary, expressed interest in Save the Green Planet! and decided to participate in developing the remake with CJ ENM. Will Tracy, who contributed to the HBO series Succession, joined the screenplay development. Several Hollywood stars have expressed interest in participating in the Save the Green Planet! remake project.
Ko Kyung Bum, head of CJ ENM’s film business division, said, “We started planning to revive director Jang Jun Hwan’s imagination, which was ahead of its time 20 years ago, in a way that fits today’s era. As talented creators and actors have joined us one by one, the film can now be reevaluated by audiences worldwide. We hope this will serve as an opportunity to provide new opportunities to Korean filmmakers by publicizing the valuable assets of the Korean film industry.”
Following Past Lives, CJ ENM is expanding its activities through continuous global collaborations. Participating in a blockbuster Hollywood film has proven its status as a key player in the global film industry. BUGONIA is set to begin filming in the third quarter of this year.
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