Bugonia's Writer Explains the Numerous Surprising Twists of the New Science Fiction Movie

Bugonia writer the writer doesn’t really remember what happens in the original Korean movie. That’s a bit of a surprise, considering he penned the screenplay for the director’s new reimagining of the original 2003 film. Rather than studying the original script for inspiration, the screenwriter behind The Menu viewed the movie once, took a few notes, and got to work.

“I’ve only seen the original once,” Tracy says. “I didn’t really remember the film all that well. I didn't want to feel like I had to be faithfully adapting or remaking or honoring someone else's vision. The fairest thing to both films was to have them be judged separately.”

While the basic plot of a emotionally troubled man (Jesse Plemons in the new version) who kidnaps a business leader he’s convinced is an alien in disguise is largely the same in both films, the variations are considerable. For one thing, Tracy re-envisioned the lead role, played by a man in Jang Joon-hwan’s original, as a woman. (The director cast his regular partner Emma Stone in the part.) The endings vary a bit too, in the way they address their shared core mystery: Is the character an alien in disguise or not?

The screenwriter feels that resolution is somewhat not the main focus.

“I never was really focused on the twist aspect,” he says. “I didn't want the movie to just be a gadget that performs one surprise, and then after the reveal, it's like: Alright, so what's next?”

Nevertheless, he has a lot to say on the topic. Our discussion with the screenwriter covered Bugonia’s finale and what it all means, along with the ways he and Lanthimos collaborated to execute those surprises.

Warning: Full spoilers follow for the ending of Bugonia.

Therefore, is Emma Stone an extraterrestrial or not?

In brief: Yes.

Similar to in the original film, the end of Bugonia reveals that the CEO, a pharmaceutical executive named her character, is actually a royal extraterrestrial in disguise. After tricking her kidnapper the unstable man (Plemons) into killing himself using her teleportation technology, she transports to her Andromedon spaceship.

The fact that this comes as a surprise is a testament to her performance. Throughout the two-hour film, she maintains suspense through a complex portrayal that may require several rewatches to comprehend entirely.

“She frequently discussed how it was the first time she had to act where she felt she had to be aware of people watching the movie a second time. How those rewatching are going to perceive,” the writer says. "She knew the second time someone sees this movie, They are aware I am conscious of… you know?”

Tracy pauses, before adding, “Thus, her performance needed to reflect of that in her acting.”

Designing the Andromedons and their spaceship

After Stone’s character ultimately shows her real identity, we get a brief glimpse of her ship and fellow aliens before the film concludes. Their vessel has a distinct appearance, which the writer reveals was meant to look like a sea creature while steering clear of futuristic aesthetics.

“[Yorgos] was really fascinated by almost like a jellyfish-inspired shape for the vessel, something very natural,” Tracy comments.

They should feel strangely somewhat primitive or primitive.

The Andromedons’ clothing is equally fascinating as their vessel: bulbous dress-like garments made from large, ropey threads. Once more, the aim was to defy sci-fi movie tradition.

“For the costumes, instead of being futuristic, they [were meant to|aimed to] appear strangely kind of tribal or primitive, and yet also highly decorative and sophisticated, because it's such an intricate and beautiful design on those strange knit costumes,” Tracy states. He notes that the director “viewed it as being a extremely old society. He disliked the notion of any element being sleek and silver, or some ultra-modern cosmic vision.”

The conclusion of the world (or just humankind)

Perhaps the biggest difference between the new film and Save the Green Planet is that in the original Korean movie, the extraterrestrials react to their leader's kidnapping and abuse by blowing up planet Earth. This adaptation takes a slightly subtler method, with its aliens opting to eliminate all human life, while keeping the Earth and its remaining creatures intact.

“My intention to do in the screenplay was a vision of Earth post-human existence,” the writer explains.

In the movie’s final moments, we see a series of shots of existence across the globe. Every person are deceased where they were standing moments earlier, but the Earth continues. How viewers, are supposed to interpret these events is up for debate. Does the conclusion of Bugonia optimistic or bleak? Are people fated to perish or worth saving? Is the planet be improved without us?

The screenwriter does not wish to offer a clear resolution in any direction.

“Some people find it to be a extremely dark conclusion, or a sad ending, a hopeless ending,” he states. “Other people see it as being a oddly hopeful or happy ending. In my opinion there are various interpretations to read it.”

Bugonia is currently in select cinemas now, with a broader opening on Oct. 31.