A Hollywood remake of 지구를 지켜라! revives a Korean classic for international audiences.

South Korea’s box-office disappointment story is back in the spotlight as a Hollywood remake revives a film long considered a “cursed masterpiece.” Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia reimagines the 2003 Korean original 지구를 지켜라! and is set to open in domestic theaters on November 5, 2025. The project marks a remake of the famous Korean title and aims to bring the story to a new audience on screens again after more than two decades.

CJ ENM reportedly pitched the project to Ari Aster, who then enlisted screenwriter Will Traisy to craft the script. Emma Stone is cast as the CEO, Michèle, while the protagonist’s partner is played by Aidan Delvis. This gender swap for a key character reflects the new take on the source material, with the production pushing its bold, dystopian vision even further.

The film’s promotional buzz includes notable moments, such as Stone shaving her head for the role—an act described in media as “the actress’s shaving-to-passion” that drew attention at international premieres. The narrative emphasizes a more symbolic, extrapolated portrayal of the collapse of systems driven by greed and environmental destruction, expanding the apocalyptic scope beyond the original.

Director Lanthimos has publicly remarked at Venice that many of the distopic visions in the film mirror current global realities, hoping audiences will reflect on what is happening in the world today after watching. With a stronger backbone derived from the updated source material and a broader spectrum of madness, Bugonia is poised to meet domestic audiences on November 5, 2025.