Ridley Scott is back in the science fiction genre after nearly ten years. His new movie The Dog Stars is not your typical end-of-the-world story. The 88-year-old director behind Alien, Gladiator, and The Martian wanted to do something different. He chose to focus on hope instead of despair.
The Dog Stars had its world premiere in London on August 20, 2026. The cast walked the red carpet at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong all attended the event. Even the four-legged co-star, a dog named Rak Jasper, joined them.
The movie is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name. The story takes place in a world destroyed by a flu pandemic. Most of humanity is gone. Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a mechanic and pilot who lost his wife to the disease. He lives at an abandoned airport in Erie, Colorado. His only companions are his aging dog and a tough former Marine named Bangley, played by Josh Brolin.
Hig regularly flies an old yellow Cessna plane. He searches for other survivors and supplies. During one of his trips, he picks up a radio transmission. This leads him to a mountain hideout where Cima (Margaret Qualley) and Pops (Guy Pearce) live. Finding them brings both comfort and danger.
Ridley Scott Wanted No Zombies in This Movie
Scott was not interested in making another typical apocalypse movie. He told Empire magazine that he had concerns when he first received the script.
“We’re doing too many end-of-the-world stories. This is not The Road. I did not want to do World War Z again; no zombies, please. I thought, ‘What the fuck am I gonna do here?’”
But screenwriter Mark L. Smith, who wrote The Revenant, changed his mind. Scott saw something different in Smith’s adaptation. The story had light in it. That is when he decided to move forward with the project.
“There’s a lot of optimism within the context of the story, and the bottom line is, people do need people.”
Scott called optimism “essential” for this movie. He wanted to show that even in the worst situations, hope matters.
Filming Took Place in Italy with a Fast Schedule
Most of The Dog Stars was filmed on location in Italy. The production used multiple regions including Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Abruzzo. Scott is known for using many cameras at once. He sometimes uses up to 11 cameras to shoot scenes from different angles.
The shoot was quick. Production wrapped after just 34 days in the UK. The reported budget for the movie is around $100 million.
Jacob Elordi enjoyed the experience of working with Scott. He called the director “the king of epic”.
“This was huge. Ridley is the king of epic, so everything was big.”
Elordi also talked about working with his canine co-star Rak Jasper. He said the dog had a team of trainers who did all the hard work.
“Rak Jasper has this incredible team of trainers that did all the work and I really had to just be there with a treat in my pocket.”
Scott chose Elordi for the role after his first choice, Paul Mescal, became busy with another project. Mescal was set to play Paul McCartney in a different film. Scott had been watching Elordi for a while and thought he was perfect for the part.
“His background is a farm lad. He can drive tractors, he’s great with dogs, and he’s a very outdoors, practical kind of guy. I met with him, and that was it.”
The Movie Focuses on Human Connection in Dark Times
The cast and crew all agree that The Dog Stars carries a powerful message about hope. Benedict Wong, who plays a member of a Mennonite community, spoke about the film’s meaning.
“It definitely centres on hope, human decency, human connection in devastating times. That’s a leaf out of this book that we can all take and definitely something we really need in our times now.”
Author Peter Heller was involved in the adaptation process. He did not set any conditions on the filmmakers. After seeing the finished movie, he was impressed.
“Cinema is a completely different discipline, it has its own demands. The power of the message that we have to keep our hearts open and take risks to love each other is in the movie and that’s the main deal.”
The movie’s trailer also highlighted this hopeful tone. Set to a slower version of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” the trailer showed optimism despite the dark setting.
Release Dates and Where to Watch
The Dog Stars begins its global theatrical rollout on August 26, 2026. The movie releases exclusively in theaters.
Here are the confirmed release dates for different regions:
- Italy: August 26, 2026
- Australia: August 27, 2026
- United States: August 28, 2026
- United Kingdom: August 28, 2026
The movie is distributed by 20th Century Studios. Since it is a 20th Century Studios film, it will likely stream on Disney+ and Hulu after its theatrical run. However, no streaming date has been announced yet.
The film has a runtime of 1 hour and 58 minutes. It is rated R.
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What the Movie Is About
The Dog Stars tells the story of Hig, a pilot trying to survive after a flu pandemic wipes out most of the population. He lost his wife to the disease. Now he lives at a small airport with his dog and Bangley, a hardened ex-Marine.
The title The Dog Stars refers to the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. It represents a guiding light in the darkness.
Hig regularly flies his Cessna to look for other survivors. He also searches for supplies to stay alive. During one of these flights, he picks up a faint radio signal. This leads him to Cima and Pops, who live in the mountains. Meeting them changes everything for Hig.
The movie is not about zombies or monsters. It is about people trying to hold onto their humanity when everything around them has fallen apart.
Also Read: 7 Upcoming Thriller Movies Ranked by Hype: From ‘Verity’ to ‘The Dog Stars’ (2026 Guide)
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