Highlights:
- Emma Stone declares her belief in aliens during Venice promotion of Bugonia
- The Oscar-winning actor cites Carl Sagan’s philosophy as her inspiration
- Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is a remake of Korean cult hit Save the Green Planet!
- Film stars Jesse Plemons alongside Stone and is set for UK release in November
Emma Stone has said she believes in aliens, making the confession while promoting her new film Bugonia at the Venice Film Festival. The Oscar-winning actor linked her belief to the philosophy of astronomer Carl Sagan, who argued it was “pretty narcissistic” to assume humans are the only intelligent beings in the universe. The subject mirrors the central theme of her latest project, which sees her play a powerful CEO accused of being an alien by two conspiracy theorists.
Emma Stone at the Venice film festival where she admitted she believes in aliens Getty Images
Why did Emma Stone say she believes in aliens?
Speaking at a press conference, the La La Land star was asked whether she believed in an “ultimate intelligence looking down on us.” Stone responded that she did not think in those terms but felt deeply influenced by Sagan’s view of the cosmos.
“One of my favourite people who ever lived is Carl Sagan,” she said. “He very deeply believed the idea that we’re alone in this vast expansive universe is a pretty narcissistic thing. So yes, I’m coming out and saying it: I believe in aliens.”
Her comments came just hours before the Venice premiere of Bugonia, a black comedy directed by long-time collaborator Yorgos Lanthimos.
What is Emma Stone’s role in Bugonia?
In Bugonia, Stone plays Michelle Fuller, a high-profile corporate executive who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists convinced she is an alien intent on destroying Earth. The role pushed the actor into striking new territory, with the trailer showing her character’s shaved-head transformation and tense face-offs with her captors.
The film pairs her with Jesse Plemons, who plays one of the kidnappers, and Aidan Delbis as his accomplice. Alicia Silverstone and Stavros Halkias also feature. The script is adapted by Will Tracy, co-writer of The Menu, and is an English-language remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 South Korean cult classic Save the Green Planet!.
When will Bugonia release in cinemas?
Following its world premiere on the Lido, Bugonia will open in UK cinemas on 7 November. Focus Features has confirmed the film’s international rollout will include a Halloween-timed US release in October.
This marks Stone’s fourth collaboration with Lanthimos, after The Favourite, Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness. Their last project, Poor Things, won four Oscars earlier this year, including Best Actress for Stone.
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How has the film been received at Venice?
Early reviews describe Bugonia as surreal, subversive and sharply comic. Critics praised Stone’s performance, alongside Plemons’s portrayal of a conspiracist torn between paranoia and morality. The Hollywood Reporter said the actor-director pairing continues to push boundaries, calling Stone “in top form” and commending her ability to bring depth to a character balancing satire and menace.
orgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone, Aidan Delbis and Jesse Plemons attend the "Bugonia" red carpet during the 82nd Venice International Film FestivalGetty Images
Lanthimos said he was “immediately blown away” by the script and insisted the story is not dystopian but reflective of the present moment. “Humanity is facing a reckoning very soon, with technology, AI, wars, and denial of reality,” he told reporters.
