A few months ago, Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars” was dated for a March 27, 2026 release. The film was shot this past spring in the UK. Last month, I started hearing murmurs that the film would not meet that date, and today we got confirmation.
‘Dog Stars’ has been pushed to an August 28, 2026 release date via 20th Century. That’s not ideal positioning for Scott’s film, as it’s stuck in a spot that’s known to be neither summer nor fall — kind of like the same situation Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing” dealt with earlier this year.
The adaptation of Peter Heller’s post-apocalyptic novel features a high-profile cast including Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Margaret Qualley. Scott is directing from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith (”The Revenant,” “Twisters”). Harry Gregson-Williams (“Gladiator II”) is the composer.
Elordi stars as Hig, a widowed pilot navigating a world ravaged by pandemic. Living in near-isolation in an airplane hangar with only his dog and a hardened gunman for company, his solitary life is disrupted when a mysterious radio transmission sparks a journey into the unknown.
In a recent interview, Scott yet again praised himself (“I was born with a good eye”). He has just finished shooting “The Dog Stars,” in only 34 days, with Erik Messerschmidt behind the camera, and called it “maybe my best movie.” Don’t take that assertion too seriously — Scott said the same thing about “Gladiator II,” and we all know how that one turned out.
Though initially framed as a return to smaller-scale storytelling, “The Dog Stars” is shaping up to be another pricey undertaking. This follows Scott’s recent trend, with both “Napoleon” and “Gladiator II” each carrying price tags north of $200M.
The film is set to shoot in fall 2027. The idea would be to release it in December 2028, timed to Trump's exit from office. Oh, and it's now Warner Bros.' indie label, Clockwork, that's backing the film.