20th Century Studios unveiled the first trailer and footage for Ridley Scott's post-apocalyptic thriller The Dog Stars at Disney's CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas. The film stars Jacob Elordi as a grieving pilot navigating a pandemic-ravaged world with his dog. It is set for theatrical release on August 28.
Ridley Scott introduced his latest project, The Dog Stars, during a video message to exhibitors at CinemaCon on Thursday. The post-apocalyptic survival story, based on Peter Heller's 2012 novel, follows a civilian pilot and ex-Marine amid the ruins of a pandemic that decimated the population. Scott described the film as 'particularly tailored for the big screen. Every frame, I hope, will really blow you away.' The screenplay comes from Mark L. Smith, known for The Revenant and Twisters, with production by Scott, Michael Pruss, Smith, and Cliff Roberts. Jacob Elordi leads as Hig, joined by Josh Brolin as Bangley, Margaret Qualley as Cima, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong. Footage shown depicted Elordi's character discovering two fellow survivors and venturing into an unknown, hostile wilderness together. This marks Scott's return to 20th Century Studios following Gladiator II in 2024, after a planned Bee Gees biopic at Paramount was paused. Paul Mescal was originally cast in the lead but exited in early 2025 due to scheduling conflicts with Sam Mendes' Beatles biopics. Variety reported in January 2025 that Elordi was in talks to replace him, despite his commitments to Wuthering Heights and Euphoria's third season. Production began in Italy in April 2025.
