Anytime you leave the theater after watching a Yorgos Lanthimos movie, he always keeps you thinking. Some of that comes from the alpine slide ride of his films, arguably zanier in their characters and plot twists than any David Lynch movie.
Then there’s the debate about the morality witnessed on screen. In his latest film, Teddy and his shy cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) kidnap and torture Michelle, convinced she’s an alien sent to destroy Earth. The movie is based on the 2003 Korean film *Save the Green Planet*, which was adapted by Will Tracy and brought to Lanthimos by *Hereditary* and *Midsommar* filmmaker Ari Aster.
When asked how the source material from several years ago still resonates today, Lanthimos explains:
> “The premise of it, and the way it creates this structure to address humanity and human nature and where we are at this point in time, which has changed from then to the worst. That initial premise is what makes it interesting. Knowing what we know today and the experiences and conditions that we face daily made it even more relevant.”
It’s important to understand that in his zany cinematic art, Lanthimos leaves it up to the audience to draw their own conclusions and takeaways.
Typically, Lanthimos’ movies are box office sleepers. *Bugonia* is currently north of $23.5 million worldwide. However, his films *The Favourite* (2018) and *Poor Things* (2023) powered to $96 million and $117.6 million worldwide respectively, thanks in part to their Oscar wins.
Listen to our conversation below with the 5-time Oscar nominee here:
https://deadline.com/2025/11/bugonia-yorgos-lanthimos-podcast-interview-1236615236/
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