Bugonia's Writer Explains the Numerous Unexpected Turns of the Latest Science Fiction Movie

Bugonia writer Will Tracy barely recalls what happens in Save the Green Planet!. That’s a bit of a surprise, since he wrote the script for the director’s new reimagining of the 2003 Korean dark sci-fi comedy. Rather than analyzing the source material for inspiration, the screenwriter behind his previous work viewed the movie a single time, took a few notes, and started the process.

“I’ve only seen Save the Green Planet the one time,” Tracy explains. “I didn’t really remember the film in great detail. I didn't want to feel like I had to be faithfully adapting or remaking or paying tribute to another filmmaker's work. The most respectful approach to both films was to have them each stand on their own.”

While the basic plot of a mentally unstable man (the actor in the new version) who abducts a business leader he’s certain is an alien in disguise is mostly the same in both films, the variations are considerable. For one thing, the writer rewrote the lead role, originally male in Jang Joon-hwan’s original, as a female character. (Lanthimos chose his regular partner the actress in the role.) The conclusions differ slightly as well, in the way they address their shared core mystery: Is the character an extraterrestrial or not?

Tracy feels that resolution is somewhat not the main focus.

“I wasn't really focused on the surprise element,” he comments. “I didn't want the film to just be a gadget that performs one surprise, and then after the reveal, it's like: OK, well, what else does this toy do?”

Nevertheless, Tracy has plenty to say on the subject. Our discussion with the screenwriter covered Bugonia’s finale and what it all means, along with the ways he and Lanthimos collaborated to bring those twists to life.

Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers ahead for the ending of the movie.

Therefore, is Emma Stone an extraterrestrial or not?

In brief: Yes.

Just like in the original film, the conclusion of this version discloses that the CEO, a pharmaceutical executive named her character, is in fact alien royalty in disguise. After tricking her kidnapper the unstable man (the actor) into killing himself using her teleportation technology, Fuller transports to her alien vessel.

The reality that this comes as a surprise is a testament to her performance. Throughout the 118-minute movie, she keeps audiences guessing through a layered portrayal that may take multiple viewings to fully understand.

“She frequently discussed how it was the initial instance she had to act where she felt she had to be conscious of people viewing it again. What the repeat viewers are going to think,” Tracy says. "She was aware the second time someone sees this film, They are aware I am conscious of… understand?”

He trails off, before adding, “Thus, her performance needed to reflect of that in her performance.”

Creating the Andromedons and their spaceship

After the CEO ultimately shows her true nature, we get a brief glimpse of her ship and other extraterrestrials before Bugonia ends. Their vessel has a distinct appearance, which Tracy reveals was meant to look like a marine animal while steering clear of high-tech visuals.

“[The director] was really fascinated by almost like a jellyfish-inspired shape for the spaceship, something quite organic,” he comments.

The goal was for them to seem oddly somewhat tribal or primitive.

The Andromedons’ clothing is just as interesting as their vessel: bulbous dress-like garments made from large, ropey threads. Once more, the goal was to go against conventional science fiction.

“For the costumes, rather than being futuristic, they [were meant to|aimed to] appear unusually kind of tribal or basic, and yet also quite ornate and not primitive, because it's a very detailed and elegant creation on those unusual woven outfits,” Tracy states. He notes that Lanthimos “thought of it as being a extremely old society. He wasn't into the notion of anything being smooth and metallic, or a hyper-futuristic look.”

The conclusion of the Earth (or only humankind)

Maybe the biggest difference between Bugonia and Save the Green Planet is that in the first version, the extraterrestrials react to their leader's kidnapping and mistreatment by blowing up the world. Bugonia adopts a slightly subtler method, with its aliens choosing to snuff out all mankind, while keeping the Earth and its remaining creatures unharmed.

“What I wanted to achieve in the screenplay was a vision of the planet post-human existence,” Tracy explains.

In the movie’s final moments, we see a series of shots of life across the globe. Every person lie dead where they were standing just before, but the Earth keeps spinning. How viewers, are meant to interpret these events is open to discussion. Is the ending of Bugonia hopeful or pessimistic? Is humanity fated to perish or worth saving? Would the world be better off in our absence?

The screenwriter isn’t willing to offer a definitive answer in any direction.

“Some people see it as a very bleak ending, or a tragic finale, a despairing ending,” he states. “Different audiences view it as being a oddly hopeful or positive ending. In my opinion there are various interpretations to read it.”

Bugonia is currently in limited theatrical release now, with a broader opening on Oct. 31.