Five-time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Yorgos Lanthimos has been denied permission to film a scene for his upcoming film Bugonia on the Acropolis. The decision was made by Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (CAC), which cited concerns about the scene’s content and the proposed temporary restriction of public access to the archaeological site during filming.
Either Or Productions, the film’s production company, had requested permission to film the key final scene on April 10. According to Greek press reports, the scene included imagery of human corpses and cats scattered across the famous Greek archaeological site. The CAC concluded that the proposed scene was incompatible with the symbolism of the Acropolis, and particularly the Parthenon.
Responding to questions from reporters, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture stated that it had intended to support the production. It had approved tax relief and reserved filming hours, but ultimately the specific scene and impact on site access led to CAC’s rejection of Lanthimos’ request. It was also reported that the CAC proposed alternative locations, including Filopappou Hill, but the production team did not accept them. So far, Either Or Productions had not received official notification of the CAC decision, but they remained hopeful for a positive outcome.
Bugonia, directed by Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Alicia Silverstone, is a remake of the 2003 South Korean sci-fi black comedy Save the Green Planet. It is scheduled for release in the U.S. and Canada in November 2025 through Focus Features. Most of the filming has already taken place in the UK and New York, with Athens intended as the setting for the film’s final scene.
