Bugonia's Screenwriter Details the Many Surprising Turns of Emma Stone's Latest Sci-Fi Movie

The film screenwriter the writer barely recalls what transpires in the original Korean movie. That’s a bit of a surprise, given that he wrote the screenplay for Yorgos Lanthimos’s new reimagining of the original 2003 film. Rather than studying the source material for ideas, the screenwriter behind The Menu watched the film a single time, jotted down some thoughts, and began writing.

“I’ve only seen Save the Green Planet the one time,” Tracy says. “My memory was foggy on the film in great detail. My aim wasn't to feel as though I had to be slavishly following or recreating or paying tribute to someone else's vision. The most respectful approach to both films was to have them exist independently.”

While the premise of a emotionally troubled man (Jesse Plemons in Bugonia) who kidnaps a business leader he’s certain is an alien in disguise is mostly the same in both films, the differences are significant. For one thing, Tracy re-envisioned the lead role, played by a man in Jang Joon-hwan’s first version, as a female character. (The director cast his regular partner the actress in the part.) The endings differ slightly too, in the way they tackle their central question: Is this person an extraterrestrial or not really?

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

“I never was really focused on the surprise element,” he says. “I didn't want the movie to just be a toy that performs a single trick, and then after the reveal, it's like: OK, well, what else does this toy do?”

However, Tracy has plenty to discuss on the topic. Our discussion with the writer covered the film’s ending and its implications, along with the ways he and Lanthimos worked together to execute those surprises.

Spoiler Alert: Complete details ahead for the conclusion of the movie.

So is the character an extraterrestrial or not?

Short answer: Absolutely.

Just like in the original film, the end of this version reveals that the CEO, a pharmaceutical executive named her character, is actually a royal extraterrestrial in hiding. After tricking her kidnapper Teddy (the actor) into ending his own life using her advanced device, she transports to her Andromedon spaceship.

The fact that this comes as a surprise is a proof to her performance. Throughout the 118-minute film, she maintains suspense through a complex performance that may require multiple viewings to fully understand.

“She frequently discussed how it was the initial instance she had to give a performance where she felt she had to be conscious of people viewing it again. How those rewatching are going to think,” the writer explains. "She was aware the second time a person watches this movie, They are aware I am conscious of… you know?”

He pauses, before continuing, “Thus, her performance needed to reflect of that in her performance.”

Designing the Andromedons and their vessel

After the CEO ultimately shows her true nature, we get a quick look of her ship and fellow aliens before the film ends. Their vessel has a unique design, which the writer shares was intended 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 spaceship, something very natural,” Tracy says.

They should feel strangely somewhat primitive or ancient.

The Andromedons’ clothing is just as interesting as their ship: rounded robes made from large, ropey threads. Once more, the goal was to defy conventional science fiction.

“For the costumes, instead of being futuristic, they [were meant to|aimed to] appear unusually somewhat tribal or primitive, and yet also highly decorative and not primitive, because it's such an intricate and beautiful design on those unusual woven outfits,” Tracy says. He notes that the director “thought of it as being a very ancient civilization. He wasn't into the idea of any element being smooth and metallic, or some ultra-modern cosmic vision.”

The conclusion of the world (or just humanity)

Perhaps the most significant change between the new film and the original is that in the original Korean movie, the extraterrestrials react to their ruler's abduction and mistreatment by destroying planet Earth. This adaptation adopts a slightly subtler approach, with its aliens choosing to snuff out all mankind, while keeping the planet and its other inhabitants intact.

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

In the film's conclusion, we see a series of shots of life across the globe. Every person lie dead where they were standing just before, but the Earth continues. How viewers, are meant to make of these events is up for debate. Does the conclusion of the film optimistic or bleak? Is humanity doomed or worth saving? Would the world be better off in our absence?

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

“Some people find it to be a extremely dark ending, or a sad finale, a hopeless outcome,” he says. “Other people see it as being a oddly optimistic or positive ending. In my opinion there's different ways to understand it.”

The film is currently in limited theatrical release at present, with a wide release on Halloween.