On August 20, 2026, Ridley Scott premiered his film The Dog Stars at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, London, returning to science fiction after about 9 years since Alien: Covenant, alongside stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong ahead of its August 26 global theatrical rollout via Twentieth Century Studios.
The Bottom Line
- The Release: Twentieth Century Studios brings The Dog Stars to global audiences starting August 26, 2026, following its London premiere at Leicester Square.
- The Creative Shift: Ridley Scott directs his first sci-fi feature in roughly nine years since Alien: Covenant, avoiding extraterrestrial creatures or armies of the undead to focus on survivors after the end of humanity.
- The Adaptation: Based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel and scripted by Mark L. Smith, the film stars Jacob Elordi as Hig alongside a canine companion named Rags Jasper.
Stepping Away from the Xenomorphs
As the director celebrated the world premiere of The Dog Stars in London, the focus was on a story featuring a small group of survivors after the end of humanity. The film combines science fiction, drama, and survival elements.
According to Deadline, the August 20 premiere brought Scott together with an ensemble cast featuring Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong. Rags Jasper, the dog playing the protagonist’s companion, appeared on the red carpet alongside Elordi. The project marks Scott’s return to science fiction nearly 9 years after Alien: Covenant.
Scott decided to direct the film after reading the script by Mark L. Smith—whose previous credits include The Revenant and The Midnight Sky—finding that it maintained its cohesion until the end. Scott, 88, deliberately avoided the recurring mold of post-apocalyptic films filled with the undead, emphasizing that he wanted to give the story a degree of optimism, as he considers hope an essential element of the film.
Navigating Post-Pandemic Isolation in Colorado
The narrative of The Dog Stars is adapted from Peter Heller’s 2012 novel. The story centers on Hig, portrayed by Jacob Elordi, who resides in an abandoned airfield in Colorado after a devastating pandemic decimated most of the earth’s population. Stripped of his former life and his wife, Hig shares his routine with his aging dog and a former military man named Bangley, played by Josh Brolin.
The partnership between the two men is based on necessity. Bangley secures the perimeter, while Hig uses an old Cessna aircraft to fly over the area in search of food, survivors, and potential threats. That status quo changes when Hig intercepts a distant radio broadcast. Driven by the possibility of other survivors, he departs in his plane to track the source. The journey leads him to a mountain bunker where Pops, played by Guy Pearce, and his daughter Cima, brought to life by Margaret Qualley, live.
Twentieth Century Studios is presenting the film as a story where the choice lies between the instinct for survival and holding onto humanity. The conflict arises from how to live after the pandemic, and whether fear justifies abandoning mercy, trust, and love.
Behind the Production Shifts and Casting Evolution
Paul Mescal had been linked to the film in late 2024, following his collaboration with Scott on Gladiator II, but he could not participate due to scheduling conflicts with his project regarding The Beatles under Sam Mendes. The lead role moved to Jacob Elordi in early 2025. Elordi had previously appeared in Euphoria, Priscilla, Saltburn, and the character of the creature in Frankenstein.
Production commenced in Italy in April 2025, despite the events taking place in Colorado, with Scott relying on vast natural locations and multi-camera setups. Elordi noted that working with the dog Rags Jasper relied on a team of trainers, while his practical role often involved keeping a small treat in his pocket to attract the dog’s attention. The cast also includes Allison Janney, alongside Qualley, Brolin, Pearce, and Wong.
Author Peter Heller noted that he imposed no conditions on the adaptation process, acknowledging that cinema is a different medium with its own requirements, but found that the film preserved the essence of the book: the necessity of keeping the heart open and being prepared to take risks for others.
Where This Ranks in Scott’s Cinematic Evolution
The film holds importance within the career of Ridley Scott, 88, as it returns him to the genre that established a core part of his standing. Since Alien in 1979, Scott has treated science fiction as a space to explore human truth in the face of fear, authority, and the unknown. He presented a future city in Blade Runner (1982), returned to the Alien world in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, and in The Martian, he placed a lone astronaut in a lethal environment.
The Dog Stars approaches The Martian in its interest in survival skills, but starts from a darker situation. The film follows an active period for Scott, who directed The Last Duel, House of Gucci, Napoleon, and Gladiator II. While those films explored historical worlds and struggles for power and wealth, his new film returns him to an empty future where trust between two people becomes important.
| Production Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director | Ridley Scott |
| Original Source Material | The Dog Stars (2012 novel by Peter Heller) |
| Screenwriter | Mark L. Smith |
| Key Cast | Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong, Allison Janney |
| Studio / Distributor | Twentieth Century Studios |
| Premiere Date | August 20, 2026 (London) / August 26, 2026 (Global Release) |
