Last year, “Gladiator II” cinematographer John Mathieson seemingly threw Ridley Scott under the bus during an interview with DocFix. Mathieson, who has served as Scott’s director of photography on seven films, told the outlet that Scott had become a “lazy” filmmaker who “rushes” to get things done. He also claimed that Scott's current approach has negatively impacted the quality of his recent films, including their overall look and feel.
Unsurprisingly, Mathieson is not the cinematographer on Scott’s next film, “The Dog Stars,” which has already begun production in the UK. Instead, Darius Wolski is reuniting with Scott. Wolski’s most notable credits include “Dark City” and “Sweeney Todd,” and he has previously lensed nine of Scott’s films.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, “The Dog Stars” is now officially shooting, and the ensemble cast is impressive, featuring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Margaret Qualley. Scott is directing from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith (“Twisters,” “The Revenant”).
“The Dog Stars” is an adaptation of Peter Heller’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic novel. Elordi stars as Hig, a widowed pilot and one of the few survivors of a global pandemic. Living in solitude in an airplane hangar with only his dog and a gruff gunman for company, Hig’s quiet life is upended when he intercepts a mysterious transmission on his Cessna radio—prompting a journey to uncover its source.
Scott’s last two films, “Napoleon” and “Gladiator II,” each cost well over $200 million. “The Dog Stars” was initially positioned as a return to more intimate filmmaking for the director—but clearly, that’s not the case. As I recently reported, the budget for this one is also expected to exceed $100 million, making it another major financial risk.
If you can believe it, Scott still hopes to shoot his long-planned Bee Gees biopic this September for Paramount. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen. Meanwhile, he has seven other projects in development, including “Gladiator III,” “Freewalkers,” “Bomb,” and “Battle of Britain.” Scott turned 87 last November.