From 'The Favourite' to 'Bugonia': Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos Are Redefining Modern Cinema

Published 08/30/2025, 9:34 PM EDT

A modern-day icon, Emma Stone is carving a legacy that mirrors the greats of classic Hollywood, yet she is redefining what it means to be a leading lady for a new generation, with a career marked by bold and transformative roles. Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos have forged one of modern cinema's most potent and artistically significant collaborations, moving from the period farce of The Favourite to the surrealism of Bugonia Now. With her latest cinematic venture, Stone is making headlines once more, proving she is a force to be reckoned with.

Emma Stone’s collaborative journey with a visionary director and a new, highly anticipated film is set to cement her place as one of the most influential actors of her time.

The visionary collaboration of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos in Bugonia

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Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos have once again redefined modern cinema with their collaboration on the film Bugonia. The acclaimed performance is already generating significant Oscar buzz, with critics suggesting it could earn Stone her third Academy Award. In the film, Stone demonstrates an almost frightening fearlessness in her craft.  Bugonia has received a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score following its premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival. Following its debut at the Festival, Bugonia received a six-minute standing ovation. The film has garnered widespread critical acclaim with a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Emma Stone is creating another all-time memorable character with a shaved head and expert line deliveries. She is praised as a driving force in this golden age of cinema and is compared to a modern-day Katharine Hepburn. Viewers have to wait, as the film will not be released in theaters until October 24, 2025. The film’s debut at the Venice Film Festival was met with immense excitement, solidifying its place as a major contender for the upcoming awards season. 

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With two major award contenders from the same distributor, the stage is set for an awards season battle.

A cinematic showdown-Bugonia and Hamnet

Two films, Bugonia and Hamnet, are poised to dominate the awards circuit, presenting a unique and challenging situation for their distributor. Bugonia, starring Emma Stone, is a dark comedy that has already received rave reviews for its audacious and unpredictable plot. The film, which follows two men who kidnap a high-powered CEO they believe to be an alien, has been praised for its sharp social commentary and stellar performances, particularly from Stone and co-star Jesse Plemons. Its bold, genre-bending style positions it as a strong contender for major awards.

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Hamnet, a unique cinematic experience, is also a strong awards contender. Based on the historical fiction novel by Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet is an imagined story about the family life of William Shakespeare, focusing on his wife, Agnes. The film begins by exploring the romance between the young Shakespeare and Agnes, a woman with a deep connection to nature.  The central plot revolves around the devastating death of their only son, Hamnet, at the age of eleven, likely from the plague. The success of one film could potentially overshadow the other, making the awards campaign a high-stakes chess match to determine which narrative will ultimately resonate most with voters.

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Are you waiting for the international release of the modern alien story? Let us know in the comments below. 

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Soma Mitra

271 articles

Soma is a journalist at Netflix Junkie. With a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication, she brings production experience from documentary films like Chandua: Stories on Fabric. Covering the true crime and docu-drama beat, she turns psychological thrillers into sharp, audience-aware storytelling.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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