Focus Creates A Buzz With First Footage Of Emma Stone In ‘Bugonia'
The story follows two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced she is an alien intent on destroying Planet Earth. In the footage shown today were ample musings on and shots of honey bees, as well as Stone's CEO literally having her hair buzzed off.
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This was fitting after Focus president Peter Kujawski reminded the CinemaCon audience that he last year called specialty films 'the honey bees of the movie business who are pollinating the future.' Today, he added movie theaters to that equation. He also said, 'We are extremely proud to work with and empower filmmakers to make films that really thrive in a communal movie theater.' The Focus slate 'runs the gamut, but every film is made for the vital theatrical experience.'
Also upcoming, Focus has Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, which also got a showcase today; Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale; Chloé Zhao's Hamnet; Ethan Coen's Honey Don't!; and Ronan Day-Lewis' directorial debut with Anemone, starring and co-written by Daniel Day-Lewis.
Further Bugonia cast includes Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone.
Focus has the movie stateside, while Universal Pictures has the Will Tracy-written movie abroad sans Korea which is being handled by CJ ENM.
Bugonia is based on the South Korean sci-fi comedy Save the Green Planet! written and directed by Jang Joon-Hwan and produced by Sidus. This English-language version was developed by CJ ENM with Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen at Square Peg. The production has been financed by Fremantle and CJ ENM.
Producers are Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe (Element Pictures); Lanthimos, Aster and Knudsen (Square Peg); Stone; and Miky Lee and Jerry Kyoungboum Ko (CJ ENM).
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